Essentia Health focused on moving forward in Fosston

At Essentia Health, we are guided by a mission that is intentionally simple and ambitious — to make a healthy difference in people's lives. At the heart of that objective is a commitment to care for others. That compels us to always look for opportunities to improve health care, yet it goes beyond that. It demands collaboration, civic engagement and relationship-building so we can uplift the communities we serve and call home. When those elements come together, boundaries disappear and are replaced by progress.

Essentia Health is proud of the advancements we’ve made in local care. We’re also grateful for the many partnerships that allow us to more broadly spark change and ignite innovation. And we expect to continue this work in and around Fosston for years to come, regardless of the rumors and misinformation being spread by city officials. It’s been more than a year since a neutral arbitration panel ruled in favor of Essentia Health, finding that we are meeting terms of the affiliation agreement signed with the City in 2009, and that we continue to provide comprehensive care and services to area residents. The panel also emphasized that Essentia — and not elected officials — should make medical, financial and legal decisions about services and care in Fosston.

Nothing has changed since then. Which is why nothing about our commitment to Fosston has changed.

Rural health care is on shaky ground, and we won’t abandon our patients. They deserve a steady hand and a system with a proven track record of successfully navigating the many challenges threatening care in small towns across the country.

Despite those challenges, Essentia continues to invest in its campuses, care teams and communities. Locally, recent investments include:

• Support for student-athletes: We are excited to extend our sports medicine contract with Fosston Public Schools. The 10-year agreement has a value of more than $1 million to the district. Essentia will also continue to provide a full-time athletic trainer. “Essentia Health has been instrumental in ensuring our student-athletes’ health and safety, and their financial support for our department through the years has been unmatched,” said Ryan Hanlon, director of athletics at Fosston High School.

• Living Center improvements: The Essentia Health Living Center received a four-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Four stars is the second-highest rating a medical facility can receive from CMS and is based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures. "We are so grateful that people in this community entrust us with their care. Our family members, friends and neighbors deserve nothing but the best. We work tirelessly on their behalf,” said Dr. Parul Gupta, new medical director at the Living Center.

• Care teams: Essentia continues to aggressively recruit clinicians who are excited about treating patients in the area. One of those providers, Carlie Pletschett, was happy to begin practicing family medicine at the Essentia Health-Fosston Clinic in August. Pletschett grew up in nearby Gully and had been a registered nurse at the Fosston hospital since 2021.

• Hospital emergency room: Work is about to begin on a $12 million expansion and renovation of the emergency department at Essentia Health-Fosston. The new ED is expected to be 6,700 square feet — compared to the current 1,100-square-foot space — and will greatly improve patient flow and confidentiality; employee and patient safety; infection control; EMS access; and overall efficiency. The project could be complete in spring 2027.

• Firefly Center: Essentia was delighted to provide additional support to the Firefly Center for Art and Wellbeing via a $25,000 grant intended to help with the buildout of new spaces.

• Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA): Just like patients, each community has unique needs. To determine priorities, Essentia conducts a CHNA every three years. In Fosston, our most recent CHNA identified three primary needs — social drivers of health, nutrition and physical activity, and mental well-being.

• Trauma care: Essentia Health-Fosston was thrilled to be re-designated as a Level IV Trauma Hospital by the Minnesota Department of Health. After undergoing an intense designation process, the hospital is part of Minnesota’s statewide trauma system, which enhances the chance of survival regardless of proximity to an urban trauma hospital.

These investments highlight our commitment to Fosston and to working with community partners in pursuit of a healthy difference.

They also reflect our determination to serve this region for many years.

Thank you for choosing Essentia Health for your care.