By Charlie Mahler, KYMN News
Northfield Hospital + Clinics President and CEO Zander Abbott said he is feeling very good about the prospects of NH+C’s purchase of the Northfield Allina Clinic. In fact, he said the last details for the purchase of the Allina Clinic are on pace for finalization in the coming months.
Abbott spoke about the acquisition last week with Rich Larson on KYMN In the Morning.
“We’re getting close to finishing out our final analysis and due diligence, so to speak, about this deal,” Abbott said. “We’ve gotten some really good external counsel about the legal elements and the financial elements as well as the operational elements. Hopefully in the next month, month and a half, we’ll have all those details set.”
The finalized agreement would then be presented to the NH + C board. Once the agreement meets board approval, the final hurdle will be city council endorsement.
“We’re a city-owned hospital, which means that any real estate transaction gets to be approved by city council,” Abbott explained. “They’re really engaged. I’ve had really good conversations with the mayor and her team. And then hopefully this all gets approved in the next month or two.”
Abbott hopes to see the transition period for patients to commence in later summer.
“The city is so invested in keeping health care local that they were very interested,” Abbott noted. “They asked tough questions, they represented constituents, and said, hey, let’s figure out what it’s going to do in terms of access to health care and cost of health care.”
As for impact on Northfield-area patients, Abbott expects “90 to 95%” insurance coverage overlap as Allina patients shift their care to NH + C.
“There’s a couple of these onesie, twosies that we’re now saying, all right, let’s look at what those plans are and how we can readdress our negotiations with those insurance companies for 2027.”
Contact Charlie Mahler at news@kymnradio.net
