ST. PAUL — The Fosston city administrator made the trip to the Capitol to testify on a bill that would strengthen public notice requirements for hospital unit closures.
Cassie Heide is very familiar with this issue. Essentia Health stopped labor and delivery services at the Fosston hospital 606 days before a public hearing on the unit closure in January.
Heide, during a House committee meeting on Thursday, Feb. 29, said she was supportive of the changes proposed in HF3700, saying it gives local governments more control over health care in their communities.
"Local governments have an intimate understanding of community needs that far surpasses those of corporate executives, whose profits often exceed the general fund budget of the communities they serve," Heide said.
When Essentia Health began managing the Fosston hospital in 2009, local leaders negotiated a contract that required labor and delivery to continue as an essential service.
Essentia Health re-routed expecting families to St. Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes, more than 60 miles away, starting around three years ago.
When the unit first closed in 2021, Essentia Health announced it was being “paused” to find additional nursing staff.
Fosston and Essentia are expected to begin mediation on the contract dispute in July. Fosston officials are already planning to terminate the agreement, if Essentia Health does not resume labor and delivery services.
The bill would require hospitals to provide 120 days' notice and an in-person public hearing near the closure site before curtailing or changing locations of health care services. It would also assign harsher penalties if hospitals fail to provide proper notice.
The bill has a companion in the state senate, where it has been referred to the Health and Human Services Committee.