MN Department of Health to take input on proposed Bethesda Hospital replacement

Christopher Magan, Pioneer Press
·2 min read

The Minnesota Department of Health is planning a virtual meeting Thursday, June 9, to take community input on a proposal to replace Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul with a 144-bed mental health facility.

M Health Fairview and Acadia Health Care announced a partnership last year that would bring a new hospital to the current Bethesda site. Fairview Health Services would operate the mental health hospital.

With moments to go in its regular session, the Minnesota Legislature approved a waiver to the state’s moratorium on new hospital beds to permit the facility. Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill Thursday.

The waiver and state law requires the Minnesota Department of Health to review the plans and decide if it is in the public interest. The waiver also includes a number of caveats to address concerns that the hospital be accessible to all types of patients.

The online public meeting starts at 6 p.m. June 9 and state officials hope to learn:

  • Whether the hospital is needed and the impact it will have on the community.

  • How low-income and nonpaying patients will receive services as compared to other nearby facilities.

  • The impact the new facility would have on existing hospitals and the health care work force.

Fairview officials have said the specialized mental health facility will be open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. They’ve acknowledged that patients with other health problems that require critical care may need to be treated at other hospitals that have emergency rooms and intensive care units.

Details about the virtual meeting are available on the state Department of Health website or the meeting can be attended by phone by calling 1-855-282-6330. The department’s website also includes more details of the plans as well as a way to provide written input.

The waiver approved by the Legislature to permit the hospital was included in a larger bill with about $93 million in funding to address mental health needs across the state.

Advocates called it as “a good start,” but noted much more is needed to address what they characterized as an ongoing mental health crisis.

Related Articles