Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson says she’s continuing to look at whether Mayo Clinic’s plan to move most in-patient services from its Albert Lea campus to Austin complies with state laws regarding non-profits. Swanson says among questions posed to her by Albert Lea area officials: “Was there money that was donated by the people of Albert Lea for the purposes of having a full-service hospital in Albert Lea, but that money is being diverted to another community?” Mayo officials say they did a thorough evaluation with input from many stakeholders before making a decision. They say they’re confident they followed state law.
Some warn Albert Lea could lose up to 500 of its highest-paying jobs. Mayo officials say that figure is completely incorrect and the actual number is much lower — plus positions will be added in Albert Lea when the inpatient psychiatric services unit is moved there from Austin.
Attorney General Swanson talks about what Albert Lea area officials asked her to do: