Construction changes access at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center campus

Construction that began July 13 is changing how people reach Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, the Joe Lueken Cancer Center and the east employee parking lot, with phase one running through July 19 and traffic directed from 34th Street. The work is centered on the road connection between Anne Street NW and 34th Street NW on the east side of campus, where patients, visitors and staff move through multiple clinics, entrances and parking areas every day.

A second phase will last about a week in late July or early August and will bring another round of access changes on the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center campus. During that phase, the east lobby entrance at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center will need to be reached through a secondary entrance off Anne Street NW between 34th Street NW and Pine Ridge Avenue NW. Detour signs will be posted, and construction timing may shift if weather or site conditions interfere.

Patient appointments and services will continue as scheduled during the construction period. Sanford Bemidji Medical Center was founded in 1898 and now reports more than 6,000 admissions a year, along with more than 800 births in its level II nursery. Its emergency department is a level III trauma center that treats nearly 30,000 patients each year.

The Sanford Bemidji Joe Lueken Cancer Center is a 20,500-square-foot addition to the medical center with 20 infusion suites, 15 exam rooms, lab and integrative services, and patient-centered amenities.

A January 22, 2024 City of Bemidji council workshop packet tied projected traffic growth and Sanford Health expansions to intersection improvements on Anne Street NW, including dedicated right-turn and left-turn lanes into Medical Access 3.