Statement

Statement from the Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. Board of Directors
November 28, 2023

In this very challenging environment for health care service delivery, the Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. board of directors believes management offered a balanced approach to the 2024 budget proposal, prioritizing investments to maintain quality, improve access, and reduce length of stay, as well as to enhance safety within our facilities.

With the support of the Hennepin County Board, we were able to minimize negative impacts of changes to the benefits offered to Hennepin Healthcare employees for next year, enabling Hennepin Healthcare to remain in the top quartile of healthcare systems in terms of benefits for our employees. In addition to competitive benefits, we know Hennepin Healthcare must continue to offer competitive pay and pension plans – with a current retention rate of 90 percent, we believe management is effectively meeting that challenge. At the same time, it will continue to be necessary to use premium-pay staffing options to meet the demand for care in our facilities, which will result in ongoing pressure for operational results and ongoing challenges for our extraordinary team members. We must also compete to attract and retain the management team we hold accountable for ensuring Hennepin Healthcare meets its mission and obligations to the communities we serve.

The adequate funding of health care service delivery is complex, and the Hennepin Healthcare board appreciates the partnerships at the County, State and Federal levels that are required to ensure the System’s ability to meet the challenges of delivering exceptional care without exception, every day.