Lake Region Healthcare Public Hearing

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will hold a public hearing on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. on Lake Region Healthcare’s closure of its voluntary admission inpatient mental health unit in Fergus Falls.

With the closing of its inpatient mental health unit, Lake Region Healthcare will partner with other regional inpatient units to provide these services, according to the submission it filed with MDH. Lake Region Healthcare plans to continue offering out-patient mental health services and programming for continued access to mental health services at its Fergus Falls facility. 

More information is available in the MDH news release: Public hearing set for February 20 on Lake Region Healthcare closure of voluntary admission inpatient mental health unit.

• Hospital name: Lake Region Healthcare Fergus Falls
• Hospital owner: Lake Region Healthcare
• Hospital location: Fergus Falls, Minnesota
• Proposed service change: Closure of Lake Region Healthcare's voluntary admission inpatient mental health unit 
• Public hearing date and time: Feb. 20, 2024, at 6 p.m. (via Teams)

The Minnesota Department of Health serves as a facilitator to ensure there is public discussion and engagement for any proposed closure, reduction of services or relocation of services for a hospital or hospital campus as outlined in Minnesota Statutes Section 144.555.

This statute gives MDH the authority to hold the meeting and to inform the public but not to change, delay or prevent the proposed changes, closures or relocations.

Call information

• Date: Feb. 20, 2024
• Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Central Time

Click here to join the call.

You can also call in using a phone. Call the phone number provided below and enter the access code.

Audio-only call: +1-651-395-7448
Phone Conference ID: 389 689 681#

Need help?

• Microsoft Support: Join a meeting in Teams

Captioning services are being provided for attendees within the Teams interface. Detailed instructions for using the captions are available on Microsoft's website: Use live captions in a Teams meeting.

If you are unable to use captions through Teams, they are also available to view in your browser through this link once the meeting begins: MNDOH: Real Time Text.

Call documents

Presentation slides will be posted prior to the call. A transcript of the hearing will be posted on this page 7-10 business days after the call.

• Slides: 2024-02-20 Lake Region Healthcare Cessation of Inpatient Mental Health Presentation (PDF)
• Transcript: 2024-02-20 Lake Region Healthcare Cessation of Inpatient Mental Health Transcript (PDF)

Submit a comment or question

If you have a comment or question about the proposed changes, you can share it by filling out the form at the link below until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2024.

Comments and questions will be shared with Lake Region Healthcare and will be answered during the hearing.

• Lake Region Healthcare Closure of Inpatient Mental Health Services Public Hearing Comments