# Nonprofit healthcare mergers in the Upper Midwest > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/nonprofit-healthcare-mergers-in-the-upper-midwest > Updated: 2026-09-29T22:06:25.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. The Upper Midwest healthcare sector is seeing significant consolidation through nonprofit mergers. In early September 2026, Sanford Health finalized its merger with North Memorial Health. This move established Sanford Health’s presence in the Twin Cities market. The merger was subject to a ten-year oversight agreement brokered by the Minnesota Attorney General, which mandates the maintenance of core services at Robbinsdale Hospital, including trauma, mental health, and reproductive care. Sanford Health also committed $600 million toward Minnesota healthcare infrastructure, specifically for hospital expansions and modernizations. Later in the month, HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced a definitive affiliation agreement to merge into a single nonprofit system under the HealthPartners name. Expected to take effect in January 2027, the combined entity will manage 22 hospitals and 135 clinics across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Executives cited rising care costs, workforce shortages, and declining reimbursement rates as primary drivers for the merger. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-29: HealthPartners and Essentia Health announce nonprofit merger HealthPartners and Essentia Health will merge into a single nonprofit system by 2027, creating a major healthcare provider serving 2 million patients across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/healthpartners-and-essentia-health-announce-nonprofit-merger ### 2026-09-01: Sanford Health completes merger with North Memorial Health Sanford Health has completed its merger with North Memorial Health, committing $600 million to Minnesota hospitals under a ten-year oversight agreement to protect core medical services. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sanford-health-completes-merger-with-north-memorial-health --- Cite as: Nonprofit healthcare mergers in the Upper Midwest. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/nonprofit-healthcare-mergers-in-the-upper-midwest