University of Minnesota Board of Regents Approves New Partnership with Fairview Health Services and M Physicians
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents voted 12-0 on Friday to approve a preliminary agreement that sets the framework for a new 10-year partnership with Fairview Health Services and the M Physicians faculty practice. This decision marks a significant milestone in the university’s efforts to enhance its healthcare offerings and provide high-quality care to the community.
The three-way settlement agreement, hashed out over the course of seven weeks with the assistance of a team of mediators, preserves the 30-year partnership between the three institutions, while sunsetting the six-year-old “M Health Fairview” brand. According to University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, “There is a win for our health and healthcare practitioners … and it’s a win for Minnesota. The news around health and healthcare affects so many across the university and across the state.”
Rebecca Cunningham. (Courtesy of the University of Minnesota)
A New Era in Healthcare Partnership
Key roles will change, said Cunningham, who called the preliminary agreement “a strategic pivot, instead of a joint venture like the current model.” Fairview will be more firmly in charge of hospital operations, while dedicating $1 billion in funding to update medical facilities on the U campus over the course of the decade. Fairview will also provide $50 million in annual funding for the medical school, with the “potential for additional funding based on system performance,” according to a joint announcement.
The framework “clarifies our non-exclusive relationship with Fairview,” allowing for “additional and expanded partnerships to advance high-quality care across Minnesota,” Cunningham said. A new leadership council aims to improve collaboration between the university, Fairview, and M Physicians, and a future program will help residents of rural Minnesota access specialized care, backed by an initial commitment of $10 million from Fairview.
Leadership Changes and Future Plans
Also Friday, the Board of Regents bid farewell after nine years to University of Minnesota Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar, who has been named the new president, chief executive officer, and executive dean of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. In his place, the regents on Friday unanimously approved a two-year appointment for Dr. Carol Bradford to serve as both interim dean of the medical school and interim executive vice president for Health Affairs.
Bradford has been dean of the Ohio State University College of Medicine and vice president for Health Sciences at its Wexner Medical Center since September 2020. She is a past president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology and former executive vice dean for academic affairs at the University of Michigan Medical School.
For more information on this new partnership and its implications for the University of Minnesota and the state of Minnesota, please visit Here
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