Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health and Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic Health System have officially merged into a nonprofit integrated system and will operate as Sanford Health.
The parties signed a nonbinding agreement in early July and an affiliation to combine in late October.
The merger will comprise a 56-hospital system, 4,500 providers, around 56,000 employees, two fully integrated health plans, research institutions and specialty pharmacies, according to a Jan. 1 news release.
"We are thrilled to welcome 13,000 new employees from Marshfield Clinic Health System to our Sanford family and look forward to embracing all of the new possibilities that lie ahead," Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, said in the release.
Each party's health plans, Sanford Health Plan and Security Health Plan, will maintain existing operations under a common management reporting and governance structure.
Marshfield Clinic will become Marshfield Clinic region of Sanford Health, with Brian Hoerneman, MD, former interim CEO of Marshfield Clinic, now serving as the region's president and CEO. A regional board of community leaders is being developed for the Marshfield Clinic region to help govern operations and strategies.
Tommy Ibrahim, MD, executive vice president, president and CEO of Sanford Health Plan, will lead both the Sanford Health Plan and Security Health Plan. Krista Hoglund, regional president and CEO of Security Health Plan, will report to Dr. Ibrahim.
Three Marshfield Clinic board members, George Brown, MD, Maureen McCausland, DMSc, RN, and Thomas Wenzel, have also joined Sanford Health's board of trustees.