Sanford Health plans major expansion in Bemidji

Posted at 3:38 PM on February 9, 2012 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Around MN, Healthcare, Northwest Minnesota

Plans are moving ahead for a big expansion of Sanford Health's medical campus in Bemidji. A regional planning board approved the expansion this week, according to a story in the Bemidji Pioneer.

The expansion plans include a 20,000-square-foot orthopedic center, a 24,000-square-foot surgery center and a 40,000-square-foot cardiac center.

Sanford officials say the expansion is part of a commitment made when Sanford Health and North Country Regional Hospital merged last spring. Sanford agreed to invest $75 million into the Bemidji community, including a $5 million gift to the North Country Regional Health Services Foundation.

The expansions mean some patients will no longer have to travel to Fargo for certain procedures.

The plan also includes a 12,000-foot medical supply building and a new parking area with nearly 800 spaces.

The campus exansion may require the reallignment of Bemidji's Hannah Avenue to the west. A portion of another roadway, Pine Ridge Avenue, will be vacated as part of the plan.