Commissioner Conley's Statement on Interim Hennepin Healthcare System Operational Oversight and Governance
Dear District 4 Neighbors,
Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS), which District 4 is home to, is Minnesota’s largest Level I adult and pediatric trauma center and has long been a critical part of the region’s health and human services infrastructure. HCMC has a special place in my heart. This is the hospital where my two oldest children were born and where I received cardiac rehabilitation after I survived a heart attack in 2023.
In response to a mounting financial crisis that has placed the hospital system at great risk of closure by the end of the year if corrective action is not taken, my colleagues and I on the Hennepin County Board voted this week to assume operational oversight of HHS governance during this critical period in order to stabilize operations and preserve essential services to ensure continued access to care.
Ahead of this action, we’ve heard from residents and employees about their experience with this long-standing hospital and overwhelming support for the Board’s interim oversight. We have also been meeting with the HHS Board over the past few months who flagged that they continue to face a budget deficit in 2025 and will face continued financial challenges in the coming year.
The resolution to take on operational oversight of the hospital is a decisive move to safeguard the future of Hennepin Healthcare, a regional and statewide safety-net health system I am dedicated to see remain open and operate in the future with excellence. Restructuring the hospital’s operational oversight is intended to create a more agile and transparent governance model during this period of transition. My colleagues and I will work closely with hospital leadership, staff, and community stakeholders to chart a sustainable path forward.
Over the years there have also been great concerns about the experiences that some patients have had at the hospital. For too many Black and Brown residents in particular, HCMC has been a place of criminalization and fear. As the structure of our temporary governance takes shape, it is my mission to ensure alongside my colleagues that we address these systemic issues and embed in our governing model sincere, compassionate, and high-quality care to all regardless of background, race, and ability to pay. It is also paramount that front line workers and all employees at the hospital have the supportive environment to provide comprehensive patient care that they need and deserve.
As always, please reach out to my office with any questions, concerns, or your own experiences with the hospital. I welcome and look forward to hearing from you.
With Wellness,
Contact us
Angela Conley
Commissioner, 4th District
Binta Kanteh
Policy Director
612-348-5204
Natasha Rice
District Director
612-348-3204
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