Albert Lea group to Minnesota lawmakers: Halt funding for Mayo's $5B Destination Medical Center

Members of the Save Our Hospital committee in Albert Lea, Minn., are calling on state officials to halt funding for Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center project until the system changes its approach toward rural healthcare, according to the Albert Lea Tribune.

The $5.6 billion project to turn Mayo's Rochester campus to a medical destination began in 2013, with $424 million from the state, $128 million from the city of Rochester and $33 million from Olmsted County. In June, Mayo announced it would transition inpatient, ICU and maternity services from its Albert Lea campus to its Austin campus.

The Save Our Hospital Committee member Paul Overgaard argued Tuesday the state should not fund Mayo's destination goals until the system addresses the needs of local communities.

"It's so disgusting," Mr. Overgaard said at a Freeborn County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday. "They (Mayo Clinic) have not come and talked to us as a community … they need to recognize that we aren't stakeholders necessarily, but we as a community have a vital interest."

If the measure to halt funding is approved by the Board of Commissioners, it could be passed along to state legislators for consideration.

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