Aug. 20, 2018

The merger of Sanford Health and The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society will happen sooner than originally announced.

It’s scheduled for Nov. 1 after the move cleared government reviews without exception, according to a statement from Sanford. That’s two months sooner than what leaders said when they announced the merger in late June.

“We feel strongly that this visionary plan will be modeled throughout the United States to offer a continuum of care throughout one’s life,” said Kelby Krabbenhoft, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “Having no objections during the government’s regulatory review confirms our beliefs. We’re excited to move forward.”

Good Samaritan has 19,000 employees in 24 states, while Sanford has 28,000 in nine states. The Good Samaritan membership approved restated articles of incorporation allowing the organizations to come together. Each organization’s board had approved an affiliation agreement.

“For several months, we’ve talked about the advantages of bringing Society professionals together with the health care experts at Sanford Health,” said David Horazdovsky, president and CEO of the Good Samaritan Society. “This clears a major hurdle in advancing the care for those we serve.”

Sanford, Good Samaritan coming together could create national model