Sanford Bemidji Medical Center earns statewide awards for patient care and addiction treatment
Sanford Bemidji’s awards point to two concrete changes: patients now shape care through advisory councils, and anyone can take free naloxone from the ER.
The Minnesota Hospital Association recognized Sanford Bemidji Medical Center with the Patient and Family Engagement Award and the Substance Use Treatment Innovator Award.
The hospital was founded in 1898, has 118 licensed beds, handles more than 6,000 admissions and 800 births a year, and sees nearly 30,000 patients annually in its emergency department. Bemidji is the region’s largest hospital and a hub for care close to home, serving a seven-county area in northern Minnesota where more than 20% of patients identify as Native American and about 16% of Beltrami County residents live below the poverty line.
The Patient and Family Advisory Council is a formal group of patients, family members and staff that gives feedback and recommendations to leaders. The council is meant to improve policies, service delivery, patient safety, communication and patient-centered care. In Bemidji, the hospital also hosts Native American Patient and Family Advisory Council sessions.
In January, Sanford installed naloxone distribution boxes in the emergency departments in Bemidji and Bagley, allowing anyone to take the overdose reversal medication with no prescription, training or questions asked. The program is backed by a Minnesota Department of Health Overdose Data to Action grant. Since January, the boxes have distributed 120 kits, and there were zero overdose deaths last quarter in the Beltrami County region.
Sanford Bemidji president and CEO Jason Caron said, “These awards reflect the dedication of our teams to listen to our patients, respond to community needs and create meaningful solutions that improve health outcomes.” He said the Native American Patient Family Advisory Council and the naloxone distribution program are strengthening partnerships, expanding access to resources and building healthier communities.
The Minnesota Hospital Association honored 60 hospital and health system teams and individuals statewide at its 2026 Spring Innovation Forum. Sanford Bemidji was also named to Becker’s Great Community Hospitals list in 2023 and again in June 2026.
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