Clearwater County selling hospital; nurses concerned about jobs

Posted at 9:22 AM on November 17, 2010 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Government, Northwest Minnesota

Clearwater County is looking to get out of the health care business.

The county has owned and operated a hospital, clinic and ambulance service in Bagley for decades. But county officials tell The Bemidji Pioneer newspaper that the county has been losing money on the facilities, putting a burden on local taxpayers.

Clearwater County is in the process of selling their health facilities to a Grand Forks company called Cocoon Holdings LLC. The plan is to complete the purchase by the end of the year.

Not everyone is comfortable with the sale. A group of nurses employed at the facilities say they've received little information on the pending sale or the company vying for ownership. Some nurses are concerned they may have to reapply for their jobs. One nurse told The Pioneer she's concerned that Cocoon Holdings has no ties to the community.

The company would operate the health facilities in Bagley as non-profit entities.

The sale of hospitals and clinics in greater Minnesota has become more common in recent years.