SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Merger talks are nothing new for Sanford employees and patients. The news on Tuesday is the seventh time the non-profit has announced significant merger talks in the last 15 years.

Sanford Health has been expanding its footprint since 2007. That’s when T. Denny Sanford donated $400 million to Sioux Valley Hospital and it officially became Sanford Health.

“I am so proud to put the Sanford name on behalf of myself, my children, and this organization it is truly a great moment,” Sanford said.

Two years later, Sanford merged with Meritcare in Fargo – creating two headquarters: one in North Dakota and one in South Dakota.

In 2012, Sanford joined up with Medcenter One in Bismarck.

“As it stands right now it’s very difficult for Medcenter One to expand. We’re profitable, but we’re not expanding fast enough,” former Medcenter One President and CEO Dr. Craig Lambrecht said.

The merger expanded Sanford into more North Dakota communities.

Sanford first set its sights on Fairview nine years ago in 2013, hoping to expand farther into Minnesota, but those merger talks were called off when Minnesota lawmakers objected to having an out-of-state company take over the University of Minnesota Hospital.

“This is a reaction to bipartisan concern. This isn’t a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. This is about our University of Minnesota hospital and we just want to make sure we don’t lose control of it to an entity albeit in South Dakota or anywhere else for that matter,” said Rep. Joe Atkins, Minnesota House of Representatives.

Sanford Health made national headlines again in 2020 when it announced merger talks with Intermountain Healthcare out of Utah. The talks were called off when former Sanford Health CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft left Sanford.

In 2019, Sanford merged with the Good Samaritan Society. Around that same time, Sanford was also in talks with UnityPoint in Iowa. That deal fell through.