Essentia Health announced on Friday that it has sent a letter of intent on acquiring CHI health facilities in both North Dakota and Minnesota.

The deal would include CHI St. Francis Medical Center in Breckenridge and would more than double the number of cities in North Dakota, including Fargo, Lisbon, Valley City, Oakes, Bismarck, Carrington and Devils Lake.

In addition to Breckenridge’s facility in Minnesota, other locations in the state include Baudette, Park Rapids and Little Falls.

Essentia Health hopes the deal could be complete by the middle of 2021.