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Public Hearings
In June 2021, the Minnesota Legislature passed legislation that requires hospitals and other facilities to notify the public and participate in a public hearing before they do any of the following:
- Close a facility or campus
- Stop offering certain services
- Move certain services to a new location
These services include:
- Maternity care and newborn services
- Intensive care unit services
- Inpatient mental health services or
- Inpatient substance use disorder treatment services
The Minnesota Department of Health works with the facility to host a public hearing as outlined in Minnesota Statutes Section 31. This statute gives MDH the authority to hold the meeting and to inform the public but not to change, delay or prevent the proposed changes, closures or relocations.
Hearing Information
Hearings are scheduled within 45 days of MDH receiving the notice from the facility, and will include:
- An explanation of the reasons for the proposed changes
- Actions the facility will take to make sure area residents continue to have access to the services that are being changed
- Time for the public to make comments and ask questions about the proposed changes
- Time for the facility representatives to respond to questions
You can find hearing information on the list below that includes:
- The proposed changes
- How to attend and participate in the hearing
- How to submit comments or questions for review
Upcoming Hearings
MDH received notification from the following facilities indicating that they plan to change the services that they are offering. Click the name of the facility to see more detailed information about the hearing.
New Ulm Medical Center
The Minnesota Department of Health will host a public hearing on October 11, 2023, at 6 p.m. (via Teams) on the New Ulm Medical Center's planned closure of its residential addiction services unit in New Ulm.
Previous Hearings
Information about hearings that occurred more than a year ago has been removed from our website, but is still available via submission of a Data Practices Request.
Children's Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health will host a public hearing on March 28, 2023, at 6 p.m. (via Teams) for the relocation of the Children's Minnesota Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) in St. Paul to the Children's Minnesota Minneapolis campus, beginning in the summer of 2023 (no sooner than June 15, 2023).
Tri-County Hospital/Astera Health
The Minnesota Department of Health will host a public hearing on January 11, 2023 at 6 p.m. (via Teams) for the relocation of all health services from Tri-County Hospital's current Wadena location to a new location in Wadena.
Avera Granite Falls Health Center
The Minnesota Department of Health will host a public hearing on October 13, 2022 at 6 p.m. (via Teams) for the relocation of labor and delivery services from Avera Granite Falls Health Center in Granite Falls to a shared regional model.
HealthEast St. Joseph's Hospital
The Minnesota Department of Health will host a public hearing on April 12, 2022 at 6 p.m. (via Teams) for the closure of St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul on July 1 and the relocation of mental health, addiction services and other secondary services to other Fairview system locations.