Essentia Health announces integration of members

DULUTH – Thirteen thousand healthcare workers across a four-state region are uniting in a common purpose – to revolutionize the process of delivering high-quality, high-value health care in rural communities. They are all employees of the new Essentia Health, based in Duluth, Minn.

Formerly the parent company of four health systems, Essentia Health now brings together 17 hospitals, 62 clinics and 750 physicians into a single organization with a shared set of values.

“This exciting transition will take us from a ‘system of systems’ to one unified organization,” explains Dr. Peter Person, CEO of Essentia Health. “By working together, we can do an even better job providing health care that delivers real value to the families and communities we serve.”

Full integration will take many months, but the organization already has begun merging operations from purchasing to information services. This work aims to create efficiencies and reduce healthcare costs.

One key initiative that will directly impact patient care is a move toward a single electronic health record that will follow patients across the system.