Healthcare workers and coalition partners gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol to call on lawmakers to take action to save Hennepin County Medical Center—ensuring it remains open for the patients and communities who rely on it in their most vulnerable moments.
Nurses, residents, paramedics, frontline staff and members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 977 and Local 2474, the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs (HCAPE) as well as other coalition partners, stood united in calling on elected officials to prioritize legislative solutions to protect the state’s busiest Level I trauma center and a vital safety-net hospital.
HCMC is a critical part of Minnesota’s healthcare infrastructure, providing care for patients who are uninsured, in crisis, or in need of specialized treatment that other hospitals cannot provide. It also serves as a key referral center for hospitals across the state caring for high-acuity and complex patients.
“Our hospital is not just another hospital. It is where Minnesota hospitals turn when they cannot meet a patient’s needs,” said Mariah Tunkara, RN and tri-chair at HCMC. “We see patients every day who are transferred to HCMC because their needs are too complex or because there is nowhere else for them to go.”
If HCMC closes, patients will face longer transport times and reduced access to life-saving care. Hospitals in communities across Minnesota—including those hundreds of miles from Minneapolis—depend on HCMC when they cannot provide the care their patients need, often transferring or airlifting patients for treatment. There is no other hospital with the capacity to absorb this loss. Emergency rooms across the metro area will become more crowded, ambulance wait times will increase, and access to trauma and critical care will be delayed when minutes matter most.
“For my entire career, nearly three decades, I have been cleaning the teeth of people who often do not have anywhere else to go. Some of our patients have very serious physical or mental challenges. Some have Medical Assistance, which limits who will see them. Some do not have any insurance at all,” said Sara Franck, president of AFSCME Local 2474 and dental assistant at HCMC. “It is routine for our patients to come in wearing wrist IDs from other hospitals, who stabilized them and sent them over to us. We do not turn people away. We need the help of Minnesota’s lawmakers so we can continue helping others and keep HCMC open, operating, and functional for our patients and communities. Without HCMC, thousands of patients will go without lifesaving care and that is an unacceptable reality.”
Despite the urgency of this crisis, no significant action has been taken so far this legislative session to address HCMC’s financial situation. With the session nearing its halfway point, time is running out.
Without legislative action, HCMC will close.
This coalition is united in the commitment to protect and save this critical institution that ensures access to care for patients across Minnesota.
“HCMC is not just a county hospital; it is a cornerstone of Minnesota’s healthcare system and a resource that EMS providers across the state rely on every day. When we care for the most critically ill and injured patients, we depend on HCMC’s unique capabilities, from trauma and burn care to advanced specialty services that simply don’t exist elsewhere,” said Shane Hallow, president of HCAPE and Paramedic with Hennepin EMS. “This system already carries a disproportionate share of the burden, caring for patients regardless of their ability to pay while serving communities far beyond Hennepin County. Ensuring its stability isn’t just about finances; it’s about protecting access to lifesaving care for patients across Minnesota.”
Healthcare workers are calling on lawmakers to make saving HCMC a top priority this legislative session. Patients and communities across Minnesota are counting on it.
