Fosston, Minn. — Following the closure of Essentia Health Fosston's labor and distribution services division, which temporarily redirected those services to Essentia Health St. Mary's Detroit for two years, the City of Fosston announced that The company will officially enter into arbitration with Essentia Health in May. lake.
Fosston Mayor Jim Offerdahl said a recent poll regarding Fosston residents' satisfaction with the hospital and its services was sent to people living in the city and surrounding areas. He believes the survey was an attempt to sway public opinion against him and the Fosston City Council. He also believes this is an effort to keep people from supporting the city's decision to break the arbitration and agreement with Essentia Health. This has been the city's plan since the public hearing regarding the closure of the Labor and Delivery Services Department. January.
“This is an absolute attempt to deceive, mislead and misinform people,” Offerdahl said.
Mark Thompson, president of the western market for Essentia Health, confirmed that the poll was sent by Essentia through a third party to solicit opinions about the hospital. Thompson said Essentia “takes a step back” and went through a third party to avoid response bias. Of the 326 respondents, 85% of his past patients said they were satisfied with his Essentia Health-Fosston services, and 53% said they were very satisfied. Of the respondents who worked in hospitals, 84% said they agreed that Essentia was a good employer.
Offerdahl said the survey included questions asking respondents what they thought about the Fosston City Council and Fosston leaders, including himself, and Thompson acknowledged that. Thompson said the purpose of the survey was to get an unbiased opinion on how residents feel about the hospital and information about possible future management changes. Mr. Offerdahl said the survey was an attempt to mislead people and sway public opinion. According to survey data, 51% of respondents are unsure whether they support the hospital's transition to a new healthcare system or community management, but Offerdahl does not want to see the hospital run by Essentia any more. He said he had spoken to multiple residents.
Discussions between Foston and Essentia regarding the hospital have been ongoing since 2022, following the temporary reorientation of the hospital's labor and delivery services department and its current closure. Arbitration is then scheduled to begin in July.
Thompson said the department's closure is due to employee hiring and headcount growth. He said many local medical institutions have a hard time recruiting, and for Fosston that means struggling to recruit obstetricians and gynecologists who are experts in providing C-sections and other surgical services. Also, because the number of annual births in Fosston is decreasing, gynecologists may not be busy enough to maintain their certification or state board certification, he said.
“We're all about quality, safe rural health care,” Thomspon said. “There is an urgent need for us to ensure that we have adequate staffing, adequate redundancy and back-up to deal with emergencies, particularly obstetric care in labor and birth.”
Although the Labor and Delivery Services Department has closed, Essentia Health-Fosston continues to provide obstetrics and gynecology services, including prenatal and postnatal care.
Offerdahl said that when the temporary diversion of labor and delivery services began in 2022, the city established a task force made up of local residents in collaboration with Essentia to keep the city informed. Stated. After a year without service restored, the city began a dispute with Essentia.
The hospital was previously owned and operated by First Care Medical Services (501(c)(3)) until 2009, when Essentia took over. According to Offerdahl, the tripartite partnership agreement between Essentia, First Care and the City of Fosston states: Essentia must provide 120 days' notice if core services need to be discontinued, transferred or modified, giving the city an opportunity to arbitrate and give the commission a final decision before formal action is taken. It became a process of entrusting
Offerdahl said in the agreement that labor and delivery services count as core services and argued that Essentia failed to provide notice within the 120-day requirement. Louis St. George, Essentia's public affairs and external communications manager, said Essentia disagrees with Offerdahl's interpretation of the agreement, but will wait to see how the arbitration panel decides on its interpretation. .
Thompson also said there were multiple formal meetings and presentations regarding the change, and St. George linked to a June 2022 media release announcing the temporary diversion of labor delivery services to Detroit Lakes. provided. Essentia also participated in a public hearing in January that is part of the Minnesota Department of Health requirements passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2021. This must occur before hospitals or hospital campuses close, relocate services, or cease provision. For certain services he requires 120 days' notice.
St. George said the department did not find Essentia in violation of the 120-day notice because the previous situation regarding the labor and delivery services sector was a temporary relocation rather than a closure. At the public hearing, Essentia employees, including Thompson, explained the reasoning behind the department's closure and diversion of service to Detroit Lakes, while Fosston residents expressed concerns about the change.
The two organizations are currently preparing for arbitration to begin on July 8, Mr. Offerdahl said. His goal, he said, is to bring the hospital back into the city and under First Care's control. The city is forming a task force in case the hospital is returned to local hands. Meanwhile, Thompson said Essentia will continue to serve Fosston and the surrounding communities it serves.
“We will do everything we can to remain connected to the community and accountable for whatever the arbitration decision is,” he said.
Offerdahl said he is hopeful the city will be able to regain control of the hospital.
“We'll see. Something will probably happen between now and July,” he said. “I'm not holding my breath, but anything is possible.”
