A vision for an integrated “all-Minnesota” solution
The University of Minnesota and Essentia Health share the framework for a bold vision to write the next chapter of health care for all Minnesotans and better meet their health care needs.
This proposed framework aspires to bring together the collective strengths of both organizations, and potentially other academic and Essentia Health partners. The University and Essentia Health propose the creation of a new non-profit entity to:
- Addressing the state’s most pressing health needs in new ways – for today and the future,
- Leverage the strengths of the University of Minnesota and Essentia Health to lead and operate this new entity,
- Meet the needs of current and future patients and help train the next generation of healthcare professionals,
- Ensuring the future of academic medicine in Minnesota and critical financial support for the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Today’s announcement is just the beginning of transparent and comprehensive discussions that these organizations still need to have. Much more work will be required to realize this vision. But it charts a path that aligns with Essentia’s nonprofit mission and the University’s land-grant mission to best serve all Minnesotans. The University and Essentia shared their vision and potential for an “all-Minnesota” health solution with Fairview Health Services.
“Our state’s health care providers and leaders, along with Minnesotans, have said loud and clear that we need health care transformation in Minnesota to increase access to care and keep people healthy. patients close to home with high-quality care,” said University of Minnesota President Rebecca. Cunningham. “We agree, it’s time to chart a new course and deliver a solution for all Minnesotans.” This bold new path would move us away from the status quo and position us to join Minnesotans in the years ahead to meet our state’s challenges head-on and deliver truly transformational solutions in health care.
Essentia Health CEO and ophthalmologist Dr. David Herman called the proposal “the start of an exciting, ambitious and absolutely necessary conversation” about the future of health care in our state.
“This is the start of an exciting, ambitious – and absolutely necessary – conversation about the future of care in our state,” said Dr. David Herman, CEO of Essentia Health. “Essentia Health has a long-standing and committed partnership with the University of Minnesota. With nearly 70 percent of all Minnesota physicians having been trained at the University, we know that continuing to deliver excellent patient outcomes while building a sustainable future in health care is built on the foundation of a strong medical school. These are the main reasons why Essentia management started exploring. opportunities to build a new framework for health care in Minnesota.
The shared goal of the University of Minnesota and Essentia Health is to overcome Minnesota’s most pressing health challenges. The health care challenges facing our state and nation are manifold: increasing costs; lump sum or decreasing reimbursement; limited access; critical labor shortages; and structural inequalities that amplify health disparities. The proposed framework for a solution not only forms new partnerships, but re-envisions the future to deliver many benefits to patients across Minnesota.
If realized, this new model would help Minnesotans receive more comprehensive care, delivered closer to home, where patients need it most, particularly in rural and tribal communities with fewer options local health care providers. The framework for this solution would preserve existing doctor-patient relationships for patients across all of our systems while providing the unparalleled benefits of one of the nation’s leading research universities: increased access to cutting-edge diagnostics, advanced treatments, specialized care and innovative clinical trials. place every day.
For healthcare professionals, this approach would create new opportunities to build fulfilling clinical careers caring for Minnesotans and those who come from out of state to receive exceptional healthcare. In the long term, this proposed solution would also reduce clinical costs, enable more sustainable and innovative models (e.g., home health care, telehealth, pharmacy services), and scale expensive health technology for use in a large system .
An additional investment opportunity on behalf of patients
This broad framework signals not only the potential for a meaningful commitment to the health of all Minnesotans, but also an important strategic investment to help bring the vision to life in a sustainable and successful manner for decades to come. The new solution proposed for the Minnesota-wide health system would invest $1 billion over five years to bring this vision to life.
This would be possible by leveraging the strengths of the combined proposed system to unlock funding and the vision of our shared future to inspire philanthropic support for this nonprofit solution throughout Minnesota.
The newly formed Integrated Health Framework would reinvest in medical facilities on and near the University of Minnesota campus, as well as rural health care and increased access to high levels of specialty care.
The University currently operates under a collaborative agreement with Fairview Health Services, which ends in 2026.
“We are at an inflection point in our relationship with Fairview Health Services that requires an urgent and innovative solution,” Cunningham said. “We envision this model as a new path forward in our relationship, one that builds on the momentum everyone at M Health Fairview has built and continues to put patients first, consistent with the shared priorities of our organizations. We have started conversations and invite continued discussions with Fairview to bring this concept to life for Minnesota.
“We believe that a healthier, more vibrant Minnesota is not only possible, but it is our duty,” Cunningham added. “This bold vision creates a new era for health care in Minnesota, meeting the critical needs of today and anticipating the demands of the future. »