Minnesota AG to investigate Sanford's proposed takeover of Fairview

Fairview Health Services, the Twin Cities' second-largest hospital and clinic group, is weighing a merger with South Dakota-based Sanford Health in negotiations that have triggered concerns on the part of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson. A merger could transfer control of the University of Minnesota Medical Center, a major research and teaching hospital, to a company with no history in Twin Cities health care, Swanson said. In addition, she said, Fairview is a Minnesota charitable trust with obligations to taxpayers and private donors who helped the business grow over the course of a century.