Essentia Health sets first patient day for replacement St. Mary’s Medical Center

Four years after ground was broken on Essentia Health's transformative Vision Northland project, the replacement St. Mary's Medical Center is set to welcome its first patients on Sunday, July 30.

The replacement hospital and accompanying clinic reached the “substantial completion” milestone in early March. Since then, our teams have been busy familiarizing themselves with the building and its technology — all while moving in furniture, hanging artwork and putting the finishing touches on 942,000 square feet of newly built space.

“St. Mary’s Medical Center has been providing the highest quality compassionate care for this region for 135 years,” said Essentia Health CEO Dr. David Herman. “We are proud to continue this tradition of support — first established by the Benedictine Sisters of the St. Scholastica Monastery — for our patients, our staff and the communities we are privileged to serve through this replacement facility.

“I have the deepest gratitude for my colleagues who helped to design this space, for the construction workers who made this a reality and for the community for their support during the construction. St. Mary’s Medical Center, and those who serve within its walls, will continue to provide great care for generations to come.”

Patients will be moved from the legacy hospital to the new St. Mary’s throughout the day on July 30. Planning for this move started not long after the project’s groundbreaking in September 2019.

With state-of-the-art technology, single-patient rooms, breathtaking views of Lake Superior and Duluth’s hillside, plus other amenities such as valet parking, the replacement St. Mary’s will be an inviting space that enhances health outcomes for our patients. It features 13 birth suites as well as 16 operating rooms, all designed to deliver the highest quality care.

St. Mary’s is rated a five-star hospital by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It is home to the region’s only Level I trauma center.

The $900 million Vision Northland project represents the largest private investment in Duluth’s history, one that will elevate the city’s standing as a regional medical hub. Of the new hospital’s 344 rooms, 342 are private. The two rooms that are designed to accommodate more than one patient are for sets of twins or other multiple births.

A ribbon-cutting and other celebrations are planned for next week. That includes a community open house from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 21.