Changes wouldn’t occur until 2019 at earliest

 

Efforts to bring The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society and Sanford Health together as a combined enterprise have cleared a major milestone.

According to a press release, the Good Samaritan Society’s membership has overwhelmingly voted to approve articles of incorporation. Both entities will next be able to sign an affiliation agreement combining the two organizations as one, pending the completion of the regulatory review process.

Good Samaritan Society’s membership is made up of mostly current organization executives and campus administrators and executive directors and managers, along with some former employees who have remained in the membership.

Good Samaritan Society has 19,000 employees in 24 states providing senior care services, while Sanford has 28,000 employees in nine states offering clinic, hospital and health insurance services, the press release stated. Both are headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“I’m very excited for our Albert Lea location and the positive outcomes this partnership with Sanford Health will bring to our employees and residents,” said Katie Davis, campus administrator at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea. “Both organizations have complementary services that will expand our reach and continue sharing God’s love in all that we do well into the future.”

The press release states the two not-for-profit organizations have spent considerable time seeking to discover ways to better serve communities. Leaders of both found that each organization wants “a more integrated, community-based health system with the opportunity to serve and care for individuals through the entire span of life.”

“Our membership affirms what we believed at the onset of our discussions with Sanford,” said David J. Horazdovsky, president and CEO of the Good Samaritan Society. “By bringing the expertise of the professionals at the society together with the health care experts at Sanford, not only will there be benefits for those we serve but also the organizations are stronger together.”

Each organization’s governing board had previously approved the affiliation. The membership vote clears the way to begin the regulatory review process.

Davis said by bringing the expertise of the professionals at Good Samaritan Society together with health care experts at Sanford Health, there will be benefits for the people the facility currently serves, and they will be able to expand their research.

Regarding the Albert Lea location, she said there will not be much change in the short term.

“We will continue to look for opportunities to do things more efficiently and effectively, but will be leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise post-closing,” Davis said.

Any significant operational changes are expected to take place after Jan. 1, 2019.