Billionaire philanthropist and St. Paul native T. Denny Sanford dies at 90

Sanford Health, the hospital system named for billionaire philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, announced Saturday that Sanford died at age 90. The article says Sanford built his fortune in banking and used his wealth to fund healthcare initiatives across the Upper Midwest, with limited additional details provided by the organization. Sanford entered the public spotlight in 2007 with a $400 million donation to Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, intended to support efforts to cure Type 1 diabetes. After the renamed Sanford Health merged with Fargo-based MeritCare in 2009, the combined system expanded to cover 130,000 square miles across five states. The article cites major investments including a $494 million medical center in Fargo (opened July 2017) and a $300 million pledge for the Black Hills Medical Center Campus in Rapid City. The system employs 55,000 people and serves more than two million patients.