St. Paul, Minnesota — State Representative Joe Atkins (DFL – Inver Grove Heights) and Rep. Dan Schoen (DFL – St. Paul Park) today introduced two pieces of legislation preventing control or ownership of the University of Minnesota Hospitals from being conveyed to a foreign entity — any non-Minnesota-based entity. The first bill would prevent this permanently, while the second would prevent it through December 31, 2014.
The legislation is an effort to give appropriate time to explore the potential adverse impact on the University of Minnesota Medical Center, physician training and on consumers in the state’s health marketplace.
South Dakota-based Sanford Health has started acquisition discussions with Fairview Health Services. In response, the University of Minnesota has proposed a takeover of Fairview.
Rep. Atkins also sent a letter today to Chuck Mooty, Chairman of the Board and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Fairview Health Services, expressing his concerns and requesting that Mooty testify before the House Commerce Committee at a hearing on the legislation on Wednesday, April 17.
“Like Attorney General Swanson, I — and other members of the House Commerce Committee — have serious concerns about the prospect of Fairview and the University of Minnesota hospital being controlled by a board based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,” said Rep. Atkins. “Fairview and the U of M Medical Center have gained a preeminent status and national recognition and we don’t that reputation to become damaged or have any potential acquisition negatively affect consumers in Minnesota’s health care market.”
The jurisdiction of the House Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee extends to examining transactions that may have major impacts on Minnesota consumers and the committee is also charged with Legislative oversight of the state’s charitable and non-profit entities.
“If we need to pass legislation to protect our University of Minnesota hospitals, then that is absolutely what we should do,” said Rep. Schoen. “The U of M hospitals are too important to our state’s education system, our economy, and our health care market to not be controlled by a Minnesota entity.”