MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Parties are returning to the negotiating table to establish a new framework for their medical school partnership after the University of Minnesota (U of M) Board of Regents decried the previous agreement between Fairview Health Services and M Physicians.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced his office is working to mediate the process to reach a solution that serves all parties as well as all Minnesota residents.
READ MORE: U of M, Fairview teaching hospital deal rebuked by Board of Regents
U of M medical school negotiations
Big picture view:
The U of M said it is "negotiating in good faith" to forge a plan that will support patients and sustain its academic mission.
This comes after the U of M Board of Regents rebuked the deal made by Fairview Health Services and M Physicians that would have seen them enter a 10-year clinical partnership with Fairview teaching hospitals.
A resolution released by the Board said that M Physicians, which is a separate entity from the university, entered the binding agreement with Fairview Health Services without consulting the university, and that the agreement could harm its ability to serve Minnesota in its current form. They also said the deal represented a "hostile takeover" of the university’s medical school.
READ MORE: University of Minnesota to buy Fairview teaching hospitals
AG's office negotiations:
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office will assist in negotiations and that he is in the process of selecting a mutually-agreed-upon mediator that will help facilitate the process.
"The progress all parties have made to date is significant, and I thank the parties for building on this work and recognizing that time is of the essence in bringing this matter to closure in a way that secures continuity of high-quality patient care, retention of world-class physicians, and long-term support for the Medical School that trains 70% of all doctors in Minnesota," Ellison said in a written statement. "This has always been and continues to be the goal."
What's next:
Fairview Health Services, M Physicians, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Attorney General's Office will now work to reach an agreement that will secure the future of the university's medical school program.
The Source: This story uses information taken from statements released by the University of Minnesota, Fairview Health services, M Physicians and previous FOX 9 reporting.