Altru Health, CommonSpirit begin talks for Altru to take over three more hospitals, including Bismarck – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS — Just days after an event in Devils Lake to commemorate the acquisition of that community’s hospital, Grand Forks-based Altru Health System has announced it has signed a letter of intent to “explore a potential agreement” to also acquire the hospital in Bismarck and two others.

The announcement came Thursday morning, in a release sent to the media. If it comes to fruition, it would mean Altru would take over CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck, CHI St. Alexius Health Turtle Lake and CHI St. Alexius Garrison. Garrison and Turtle Lake are communities in western North Dakota.

“Altru has a long history of serving communities across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota and our organizations share a deep respect for the people we serve and the responsibility that comes with delivering local health care,” said Altru Health System CEO Todd Forkel. “We look forward to working more closely with CommonSpirit to strengthen access to care for patients and families well into the future.”

In the coming months, Altru and CommonSpirit will “engage in discussions to work toward a definitive agreement, pending customary regulatory review and approvals,” according to the media release. It also said that “CommonSpirit and Altru share a vision and commitment to ensuring high-quality, patient-centered care remains strong and sustainable for communities across North Dakota — not only for today but for future generations.”

The process of signing a letter of intent allows for an evaluation process to explore the possible transition, the release said. It also “builds on recent collaboration between the organizations.”

Just Monday,

at an event in Devils Lake,

Altru and CommonSpirit officials gathered to mark Altru’s acquisition of CHI St. Alexius Hospital Devils Lake. There, Altru President Josh Deere expressed excitement about the acquisition.

“(We) feel that care delivered closest to home is what’s best for patients,” Deere said.

That acquisition took time, however. It was first announced in June 2024 and appeared to be on track, but was delayed as officials

awaited final approval from the Vatican,

due to the Devils Lake hospital’s faith-based ownership. Clearance came in December.

“This transition reflects a thoughtful, community-focused approach to ensuring long-term access to care while supporting the teams who serve patients every day,” Tim Bricker, president of CommonSpirit Health’s Central Region, said at the time.

This week, Bricker said the potential Altru acquisition of the facilities in Bismarck, Turtle Lake and Garrison “is a natural first step in exploring how we can continue to support strong, sustainable health care for the region.”

In January 2025,

Altru opened its new $500 million hospital

in Grand Forks. It came in conjunction with the expansion of dialysis services in Grand Forks and a ranking among the top 250 hospitals in the nation.