St. Paul, Minnesota — This afternoon, Sanford Health announcing it was withdrawing from merger discussions with Fairview Health Services. State Representative Joe Atkins (DFL – Inver Grove Heights) is the chief author of one bill that would permanently prevent control or ownership of the University of Minnesota Hospitals from being conveyed to any non-Minnesota-based entity and a second that would prevent it through December 31, 2014.
Rep. Atkins released the following statement:
“While I’m pleased that Sanford is withdrawing from the merger discussions, this was never about Sanford and the problem still remains. Another non-Minnesota-based entity could still try to acquire Fairview and we would once again be in the same potential situation where the University of Minnesota Medical Center would be not under Minnesota control. The bottom line is that the University of Minnesota Hospitals ought to always be controlled by folks based right here in Minnesota.
“I still intend to hold hearings on my legislation in the House Commerce Committee and still request that the Fairview CEO attend.”