It was a VIP Turn Out last night as Sanford Health broke ground on a new Regional Medical Center on Highway #32 South. Sanford Administration, Community and Chamber Leaders, as well as Representative Dan Fabian and Senator LeRoy Stumpf turned out in a standing room only crowd to celebrate the construction effort, scheduled to begin next week.

Site preparation has already begun for the 60 million dollar facility that will include both a hospital and clinic on a 60 acre campus on newly annexed land on the east side of Highway #32, just south of Brodin’s.

The new hospital was promised in the original merger of Northwest Medical Center and Merit Care – the former St. Luke’s Hospital in Fargo. When Merit Care and Sanford merged the newly formed organization followed through with the original plan and added to it; a new dialysis unit as well as a new clinic.

The current Sanford Clinic on Highway #59 East will be dedicated to Behavioral Health and Wellness – also targeted for Dialysis Services and the Fitness Center. As far as the hospital building in downtown Thief River Falls, Harff said last night the current plan is for demolition and replacement with a riverside green space.