Hospital Public Interest Review
The 2004 Minnesota Legislature passed a law establishing a public interest review process for hospitals seeking exceptions to the state’s hospital bed moratorium law (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 144.552). Under this process, a hospital seeking to increase its number of licensed beds or an organization seeking to obtain a hospital license must submit a plan to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). MDH is required to review the plan and issue a finding on whether the plan is in the public interest.
In conducting its review, the MDH is required to consider certain issues, including the following:
- Whether the new hospital or hospital beds are needed to provide timely access to care or access to new or improved services;
- The financial impact of the new hospital or hospital beds on existing acute-care hospitals that have emergency departments in the region;
- How the new hospital or hospital beds will affect the ability of existing hospitals in the region to maintain existing staff;
- The extent to which the new hospital or hospital beds will provide services to nonpaying or low-income patients relative to the level of services provided to these groups by existing hospitals in the region; and
- The views of affected parties.
Public Interest Reviews
- Regions Hospital
- Tandem Hospital Partners
- PrairieCare Brooklyn Park
- PrairieCare Maple Grove
- Sanford Thief River Falls Psychiatric Hospital
- Perham Health Psychiatric Hospital
- Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital
Completed Reviews
