New St. Mary’s Medical Center opens in Duluth, with blessing from Bishop Felton

By The Northern Cross 

On June 20, Essentia Health in Duluth began a new era of patient care in Duluth with the grand opening of its replacement St. Mary’s Medical Center. 

Photo courtesy of Essentia Health

Essentia CEO Dr. David Herman started the celebration by welcoming attendees to a state-of-the-art medical campus years in the making. He shared the stage, set up just outside the hospital’s main entrance along East Second Street, with leaders from across the region. 

“It is with a profound sense of pride that I stand up here on behalf of 15,000 people at Essentia Health,” Dr. Herman said. 

Benedictine Sister Beverly Raway, prioress of St. Scholastica Monastery, led the ceremony in prayer. Essentia Health, which has many Catholic-sponsored clinics and hospitals, has its roots in St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, which was established by the Benedictines of St. Scholastica in 1888. 

The event featured a host of other dignitaries, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz; Ricky Defoe of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Duluth Mayor Emily Larson; State Senator Kari Dziedzic; State Rep. Greg Davids; and, via video, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. 

Photo courtesy of Essentia Health

Duluth Bishop Daniel J. Felton offered brief remarks before closing the hour-long ceremony with a blessing, sprinkling holy water on the replacement St. Mary’s. 

“We’re here today because in 1888 the Sisters opened up a hospital in the city’s west end,” Bishop Felton said. 

The bishop, other clergy from the diocese, many Benedictine Sisters, and other community members were also present at the first Mass in the chapel in the new hospital. 

The new hospital has been in the works since 2018, with construction beginning in September 2019. The completed facility is 942,000 square feet, has 344 patient rooms, and is the result of 2.8 million hours of labor. 

“We are standing in the shadow of literally one of the nation’s great medical institutions,” Gov. Walz said. 

“I’m so excited about a $900 million investment in my neighborhood,” Mayor Larson said of watching the progress of the Vision Northland project from her home. 

Speakers also highlighted the resilience and selflessness of health care workers who toiled through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The people inside that building showed up every single day and did it,” Gov. Walz said. “They showed up every single day to deliver care.” 

“I’d like to recognize all the health care workers in attendance. Thank you for all you do,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “This new hospital will give you the space and the resources to continue your lifesaving work for the community.” 

Photo courtesy of Essentia Health

The new hospital is expected to advance health care in Duluth, improve the patient and staff experience, and contribute to the economic vitality of the region for generations. 

Alan Hodnik, Chair of the Essentia Health Board of Directors, noted the difficulty of a construction project that endured a global pandemic, along with Duluth’s rocky terrain and fickle weather. 

St. Mary’s is a five-star hospital as rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It features the area’s only Level I Trauma Center. 

Patient care was moved from the legacy hospital to the replacement St. Mary’s on July 30.