Promises made, promises kept: 10 years after merger, Sanford Bemidji continues its mission of providing care close to home
In the past 10 years, Sanford Bemidji has added heart and vascular care, an orthopedics and sports medicine center, opened the Joe Lueken Cancer Center and opened a 14-bed residential support center for mental health patients. 7:15 am, Mar. 3, 2021 ×
The entrance sign is just one of many changes since 2011 on the Sanford campus in Bemidji. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)
BEMIDJI It was 10 years ago this week when North Country Health Services merged with Sanford Health at Bemidji’s hospital and clinic campus. Local health care providers and board members hoped that affiliating with Sanford’s expanding regional presence would forge a positive future.
Q: How will I know when I can get a COVID-19 vaccination shot?
A: Information on when one can get a shot is available at the Minnesota Department of Health, which is administering the vaccines to health providers. As of Tuesday, March 30, every Minnesotan 16 and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine. For a progress report on who the MDH is allowing to be vaccinated, visit mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/whos-getting-vaccinated.
Local provider Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota is distributing vaccines based on guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and each state’s department of health.
Bemidji City Council hears vaccine rollout progress, considers DEED application for Bemidji Steel
During its Monday meeting, the Bemidji City Council was joined digitally by officials from Beltrami County Public Health and Sanford Health to learn about coronavirus vaccination efforts. The council also reviewed a request from Bemidji Steel to support an application to a state agency. 9:48 pm, Feb. 1, 2021 ×
Diane Pittman, a doctor at Indian Health Services, receives an initial dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 14, at the Cass Lake Hospital. (Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer)
BEMIDJI Local efforts to vaccinate the public for the coronavirus are proving successful, with Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota having administered 1,900 doses since mid-December.
We received 300 doses to start giving vaccinations to those 65 and up, Dr. David Wilcox, Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota vice president medical officer, said on Tuesday. We ve been making plans for a long time and have been preparing to vaccinate this group, but hadn t been given the vaccine supply, so we re happy to get started.
Patients wait to receive their initial doses of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)
According to Wilcox, Sanford Health, along with partner organizations and providers, are working on a process now where patients will be notified via an invitation with a phone number to call and schedule an appointment for their vaccination. Sanford Health officials have also stressed that while the provider has the infrastructure to administer doses, the vaccine supply is still very limited.