BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — HealthPartners announced Wednesday that it will be closing several of its clinics as health care services and technologies evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a news release, HealthPartners said the changes "will position the organization to better meet member, patient and community needs and preferences," including expanded video visits and other digital services.
As part of the changes, seven clinics that suspended services during the pandemic will not reopen, including:
- Park Nicollet Shorewood Clinic
- Cottage Grove
- Highland Park
- Riverside (Minneapolis)
- Stillwater Medical Group Mahtomedi
- Westfields HealthStation (New Richmond)
- Central Minnesota Clinic (Sartell/St. Cloud)
In addition, HealthPartners will also close its Regions Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program and Regions Maplewood Behavioral Health Clinic.
"Consumer preferences are evolving and affordability pressures are real," HealthPartners president and CEO Andrea Walsh said in a statement. "These steps anticipate the changing needs of our patients, members and the community, and position HealthPartners for the future."
Reuben Moore, the CEO of Minnesota Community Care -- which serves vulnerable populations and works closely with Health Partners -- said the entire health care industry has faced financial challenges due to a steep drop in patient visits.
"You think about: If health care was a restaurant, imagine the doors being closed, or limited to one or two people coming in a day," Moore said, vowing to help fill the gap after the HealthPartners closures. "We can stand up our behavioral health teams to support the mental health needs of many of the patients, [and] we also have a lot of highly qualified primary care physicians and sub specialty physicians, who can really help rally around our patients and communities."
The loss of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program through Regions will be a particularly difficult loss, however, especially since the stress of COVID-19 has contributed to more substance use disorder. Minnesota Recovery Connection Executive Director Wendy Jones said in-person visits are especially important for people early in the recovery process.
"So losing this service, at a time when the community is already struggling," Jones said, "is devastating."
In addition to the closures, HealthPartners announced it would reopen some clinics that had temporarily suspended services.
The clinics set to reopen include:
- Eagan (Park Nicollet)
- Elk River, Wayzata
- West (St. Louis Park)
- Most HealthPartners dental clinics
Respiratory-only clinics will be converted back to full-service in:
- Stillwater (Curve Crest)
- Lakeville
- Plymouth
- St. Paul (Wabasha St.)
The University Avenue/Health Center for Women will be converted into a dedicated location for OB-GYN care, according to the news release.
More than 50 other clinics that have remained open through the pandemic will continue to stay open, according to the news release. Additional clinics are expected to open later in the summer.
HealthPartners said its providers have greatly expanded video and phone visits for patients during the pandemic, which have become a "well-liked care experience," according to the health system. HealthPartners said it has conducted nearly 300,000 video visits since early March.
"Our response to COVID-19 has led to innovation in caring for and serving people – for today as well as into the future," Walsh said. “This has included the expansion of telemedicine, drive-up testing and many other new models of care for our patients. And for our health plan customers, we’re redesigning health plan benefits and creating new digital tools to support health and well-being. It’s all part of our work to make health care simpler and more affordable."