Board of Regents affirms duty to protect Medical School, statewide health mission

Guided by the University of Minnesota’s mission to serve the health needs of Minnesotans statewide, the Board of Regents approved a resolution at a special meeting today affirming UMP does not have the authority to negotiate agreements affecting the Medical School without University approval. 

Fairview Health Services and UMP management announced a proposed deal Nov. 12 that would have a profoundly negative impact on the University of Minnesota Medical School and Minnesota. The terms of the proposed agreement were reached while excluding the University from negotiations. UMP, a legally separate entity from the University, is ​the management services company that supports delivery of patient care for medical school faculty. ​

“Our Medical School must not be bargained away to pave a path that benefits a few and harms many, including our amazing faculty who come to the University to practice academic medicine,” said Board Chair Doug Huebsch. “The deal that Fairview and UMP leadership have reached is destabilizing to not only the Medical School but to all of our health science schools. It benefits one health system and one physician group. Our charge is to serve all Minnesota. For me personally, the lack of any approach to healthcare in rural Minnesota and the significant healthcare needs that I see there each and every day must be addressed. The University of Minnesota's mission calls us to serve our entire state and any critical agreement must do that.”

The University of Minnesota Medical School is the only public institution in the state that delivers medical education, clinical care and research discovery — and includes a specific emphasis on rural health. It is currently one of the top ranked public medical schools in the nation, critical to educating and training some 70 percent of the physicians who are needed to serve Minnesota now and in the future; advancing knowledge leading to treatments and cures through research and clinical trials; attracting and retaining the next generation of physicians who can serve Minnesotans; and promoting the public health of the state and beyond by providing access to exceptional primary and specialized clinical care.

As mandated by the Constitution of the State of Minnesota, the Board of Regents holds the authority and responsibility to determine the policies and direction of the Medical School. The resolution approved at today’s special meeting details how the Board is fulfilling this constitutional responsibility in light of the proposed agreement.

“My duty as a Regent is clear: to protect and advance the University so that it can best serve all Minnesotans,” said Board Vice Co-Chair Penny Wheeler. “Unfortunately, the agreement announced between Fairview and UMP threatens to erode the University’s core mission — to train the next generation of health professionals, to make life-saving discoveries, in addition to delivering outstanding patient care. This three-part mission is fundamental to who we are and is relied upon by all Minnesotans.” 

Co-Vice Chair Ruth Johnson noted, “If we allow pathways to our health sciences schools to be closed, we will deprive Minnesota of tremendous talents for decades to come. The agreement that's discussed could diminish not only the Twin Cities campus but will diminish our ability across all of our medical school campuses.” 

The approved resolution states that UMP leadership violated their obligations and exceeded their authority as the University's designated practice organization — endangering not just the Medical School, but the future of all of the University’s health sciences schools. It calls on the UMP board to negotiate in good faith with the University and to act in a manner aligned with the Medical School’s mission of education, research and clinical care in order to permit its continued designation as a faculty practice after December 31, 2026.

President Rebecca Cunningham and Chair Huebsch sent a letter to Attorney General Keith Ellison Sept. 16 emphasizing their commitment to continued negotiations and objecting to the strategic facilitator’s declaration of an impasse because, the “impasse centers on the issue of who governs UMMC (University of Minnesota Medical Center) and how the Medical School and UMMC are critical components of the University’s public health service obligations to the people of Minnesota.”

The resolution also reaffirms the President’s delegated authority to act as needed, to include:

• Exploring options needed to address the likely reduction in academic or mission support funding resulting from the proposed agreement.
• Assessing branding and trademark implications and recommending to the Board any actions needed to protect the University's name and marks.
• Evaluating the implications and remedies arising from the conflicting loyalties and fiduciary duties created by the actions of UMP’s management, and mitigating any conflicts.
• Conducting a comprehensive review of Board of Regents Policy: Private Practice Plan – University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities, to consider alternative models of care delivery, and the creation of a broader policy that encompasses all locations of the Medical School across the University.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to meet next on December 11-12. Visit regents.umn.edu for more information. 

The Board’s Virtual Forum accepts audio, video and written input, which is shared directly with Regents and included in the Board’s public materials. The public is encouraged to visit the Virtual Forum to submit their comments.