Jill Schramm/MDN Travis Zablotney speaks to the Minot City Council Tuesday as Trinity Health representatives take seats in the chambers to also address a proposed zoning change for a micro-hospital.

A company looking to bring a micro-hospital to Minot took the first step with the Minot City Council’s passage of a preliminary plat, zone change and annexation Tuesday.

Exceptional Healthcare has proposed a hospital to provide emergency care on North Hill, just off the U.S. 83 Bypass. It will need other city approvals of its project before it can break ground later this year as it has proposed.

The project, more so than the land use question facing the council, drew passionate debate from supporters and opponents.

“This decision poses significant risks to our community,” said Brent Mattson of Minot. “The presence of a for-profit micro-hospital will undermine the mission and sustainability of Trinity Health, an organization that has been unwavering in its commitment to the community. Allowing this rezoning would signal to current and future investors that Minot does not prioritize or protect the institutions that have supported its growth and wellbeing for generations.”

“This decision is not about constructing a new building. It’s about safeguarding the health, the wellbeing and future of our residents and future generations,” said Elyssa Bakk, a Minot nurse. “This hospital is not meant to replace the existing facility, but it’s really here to complement Trinity and work alongside Trinity in our community by alleviating the pressure on the current system and focusing on the less acute patients. This is a critical moment for our community. By approving the zoning change, you’ll be ensuring that Minot has the healthcare infrastructure it needs to meet the demands of today and the future.”

Trinity President/CEO John Kutch asked the council to delay action on the rezoning request.

“This is a significant decision with far-reaching implications and consequences. It is vital that we take the necessary time to thoroughly evaluate and explore the impact of such an enterprise on our community,” he said. “There are numerous unknowns and questions that need to be addressed in order to fully understand the necessity, benefits and overall value proposition to our community while ensuring that we do not compromise Minot’s greatest asset – our local and regional healthcare system.”

Travis Zablotney of Minot spoke of his farm employees who, after extremely long waits in Trinity’s emergency room, traveled to the Garrison hospital to get care. He also spoke of a request by himself and others on behalf of a hospital patient’s family for alternative COVID-19 care that was denied. He advocated for a hospital system that respects the choice not to vaccinate a child with a multitude of childhood vaccinations.

“All these things that we’re talking about here have nothing to do with your approval – whether or not you can change the zoning and this hospital can choose to come and work with the city,” he said. “So, there’s no point in delaying it. I think it’s on the president and the board of Trinity to figure out what they need to do as a hospital to be competitive and survive. It wouldn’t be the purview of this board to lock another competitor out of this town.”

Dr. Scott Knutson, chief of staff at Trinity Health, spoke of initiatives in place to improve ER services over the next 12 months.

“I’d be the first to tell you we have excessive wait times and we are not currently meeting what I would expect to give as an ER provider in our community. Bringing another institution into this town to meet that need actually does not answer the problem,” he said, noting the pressures that would be added to Emergency Medical Services with transfers and transports.

“I am not opposed to competition, but I am opposed to competing for scarce labor resources,” said Ben Anderson,Trinity’s chief of Nursing. “I believe a for-profit micro-hospital will actually worsen that problem that we have in the community. So, I’m asking for support and to not give us another challenge.”

For the council, the issue was a zoning request that appeared to fall within its ordinances and land-use planning.

“I certainly want Trinity Hospital to maintain and to succeed,” council member Lisa Olson said. “I have concerns with a micro-hospital coming to town. However, what we are charged with tonight to vote on is a zoning request, and I don’t see any way that we can deny that.”

“What someone decides to do with their land is not within the purview of the city as long as they meet all the requirements,” council member Paul Pitner added. “Then when it comes to pulling a building permit, we’ll have to cross that bridge as well.”

The council voted unanimously to approve the zoning request as recommended by the Minot Planning Commission.