By Dave Thompson
Bismarck, ND – North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has filed suit in state district court against Banner Health.
Banner operates the Anne Carlson School in Jamestown, and formerly had a string of nursing homes across North Dakota. Banner sold the nursing homes.
Stenehjem says he wants the courts to declare what he called a "constructive" or charitable trust to protect Banner's North Dakota assets from being funneled to other states.
"You have the citizens of North Dakota who have made charitable contributions to these nursing homes and facilities, and we have given them tax breaks to continue to do business here," Stenehjem said. "What Banner Health did was to pull up roots, take all of that money wiith it and spirited the money to their operations in Arizona. I think that's ethicall \\y and equitably improper."
Stenehjem says he's concerned that Banner may try the same thing if it sells the Anne Carlson school.