Why the Sutter partnership would be good for patients

As a geriatrician, a urologic oncologist, an obstetrician and a psychiatrist, we have decades of experience as physicians. We have spent our careers caring for patients, conducting research and leading clinical teams that provide exceptional care every day. We have seen rapid advancements in medicine and the immense value of coordinated care to help complex patients get and stay well.

We have also seen gaps in the system that prevent patients from accessing care at the right time and in the right place. This up-close view of the challenges standing in the way of our patients getting the care they need makes it even more important that we speak up when there are positive solutions to the barriers patients and health care systems face, including at Allina Health. 

We understand the stress of a crowded emergency room, the complexity of navigating appointments and insurance coverage and the difficulty patients experience accessing a specialist or primary care to keep them out of the hospital. 

Challenges that are too familiar to many of our patients reflect broader pressures in Minnesota’s health care system. Recently, we’ve seen rural services close, UCare collapse and metro hospitals fight for survival. Communities are facing growing health care needs, including an increasing senior population and rising demand for mental health services. These trends place additional strain on an already stressed health care system. 

Unfortunately, these challenges continue to grow as we look ahead to federal policy changes that will leave thousands of Minnesotans uninsured and cut $19 billion in Medicaid funds to the state over the next 10 years.

Solving these problems requires action to expand access to care, invest in clinical programs and recruit and train more skilled health care professionals. We aspire to meet these needs for our communities and position ourselves to serve patients when they need our care the most.

Our patients deserve more than just fighting to maintain the status quo. That’s why we are optimistic about Allina Health’s plans to join Sutter Health, and what more than $2 billion to support health care in Minnesota and western Wisconsin could mean for our patients. 

This investment means opening more clinics and locations closer to where patients live, making it easier for patients to get appointments. The Allina-Sutter partnership would increase capacity to care for more people, supported by digital tools that make it easier to access and schedule care to help maintain health and wellness.

It would also allow growth in our medical education programs to ensure our health care workforce is able to meet our communities’ growing needs. That includes not just physicians and advanced-practice professionals, but also nurses, therapists, technologists and other clinical team members who care for patients throughout the state, not just at Allina Health.

We will be able to recruit more top specialists to Minnesota and western Wisconsin, increasing access to Allina Health’s leading programs in neurosciences, cardiovascular care, cancer care, women’s health and mental health, allowing us to offer new therapies and procedures. Access to these experts would extend to community hospitals and clinics in outlying communities that rely on Allina Health for specialized tele-consults, referrals and partnerships.

With new clinical technology, we could enable doctors to better diagnose and treat patients. We would be able to launch more clinical trials and research studies — offering hope for patients and families facing challenging diagnoses, while creating new opportunities for collaboration with Minnesota’s leading medical technology community.

We understand that people in Minnesota and western Wisconsin are passionate about the future of local health care and our community, and that change can bring concerns. As doctors, we know our community’s health care is vitally important, and it’s worth asking questions and ensuring that commitments are clear.

But the greatest risk for our patients’ health care is not change — it’s standing still. Without sustained investment, we will not be able to confront the challenges patients and doctors face today and create a healthier future for the next generation. Our goal is and will always be to provide for the health care needs of our entire community to the fullest extent of our capabilities, using the best available tools, advancements and clinical expertise while delivering care with compassion.

We’re doctors, medical researchers and clinical leaders — and we’re also Minnesotans. This matters deeply to us on a personal level, as our children, our families and our friends and neighbors depend on excellent local care.

After many challenging years, we look to the future with optimism and hope for Allina Health’s partnership with Sutter Health and the possibilities it can bring for care in this community.

Authored by:
Emily Downing, M.D., vice president and system clinical officer, Allina Health
Badrinath Konety, M.D., president, Allina Health Cancer Institute, and chief academic officer, Allina Health
Indy Lane, M.D., vice president, Women’s Health Service Line, Allina Health
Mary Beth Lardizabal, D.O., vice president, Mental Health & Addiction, Allina Health, and system medical director, Center for Provider Well-Being.