Proposing a bold vision for healthcare

Dear students, faculty and staff,

We are at an inflection point.

Our state, like so many others across the country, faces a myriad of critical healthcare challenges. From increasing costs, limited access and declining reimbursements to workforce shortages and structural inequities that amplify health disparities.

Minnesotans have said loud and clear that healthcare needs to work better for them and their families. We hear you, and we agree.

Negotiations over the letter of intent that we signed in good faith with Fairview leaders in February 2024 have not progressed in ways that I can assure you would meet the needs of our public service mission, so we are proposing a new path forward.

The University of Minnesota and Essentia Health are coming together to propose a solution that benefits all Minnesotans — a new, not-for-profit healthcare entity.

Our goal is to infuse the very best of what our organizations have done for decades. Whether it’s providing world-class care to patients in rural, urban and Tribal communities, and everywhere in between. Training and delivering 70% of the state’s healthcare workforce. Or developing new innovations that lead to life-changing treatments.

This is just the start of many transparent and comprehensive discussions we will have, as we work collaboratively to envision a brighter future for healthcare in the communities we are so privileged to serve.

I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff and all those who provide care to our patients so that, together, we can meet the critical health needs of today, and long into the future.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Cunningham
President

News release: University of Minnesota and Essentia Health share bold new vision for healthcare in Minnesota