Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1295290
26 JOINT VENTURES 100+ Children's Minnesota employees could lose job, ASC could close because of procedure declines By Eric Oliver M inneapolis-based Children's Min- nesota is considering "significant" layoffs and facility closures in response to the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the StarTribune reported. What you should know: e system hasn't determined how many could lose their jobs, but the Minnesota Nurses Association said its members believe more than 100 jobs could be lost. A Children's-owned surgery center in Minnetonka, Minn., has been closed for a significant time and could close permanently because pre-pandemic procedure volume losses haven't returned. Children's operates two inpatient hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., with higher-complexity diabetes and neurological cases being treated out of St. Paul. Children's is debating whether to transition all high- complexity cases to its Minneapolis facility. Children's also owns and operates 12 pri- mary care clinics, six rehabilitation centers and nine specialty care sites. e system employs 5,458 people. n 4-physician eye group building clinic, ASC in Washington — 3 details By Angie Stewart E mpire Eye Physicians is building a clinic and surgery center in Spokane Valley, Wash., according to Bernando | Wills Architects, an architecture and planning firm involved in the project. Three things to know: 1. Construction on the Empire Eye Physicians Clinic & Ambulatory Surgical Center began in June. Work has been completed on the concrete foundation, under- ground utilities and a parking garage. 2. A project 15 years in the making, the facility includes 10,000 square feet of clinic space and 5,000 square feet of ASC space. 3. Empire Eye Physicians has a team of four physicians providing lens implants, corneal transplants, dry eye treatments and other services. $900M Minnesota hospital project with surgery center pushed back By Eric Oliver D uluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health has pushed back its project in Duluth to accommodate an expansion, Fox 21 reported. What you should know: 1. Essentia is constructing a new hospital, St. Mary's Medi- cal Center, a clinical building and an outpatient surgery center. 2. The project will occupy a 942,000-square-foot footprint and will now cost $900 million. 3. Developers expect to open the project in 2023. 4. An Essentia spokesperson said the project was pushed back because of a "carefully thought-out expansion." The expansion tacked an additional $100 million onto the project cost. n