Lawmakers hear testimony on possible Sanford-Fairview Health merger
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The University of Minnesota joined Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in calling for a delay to a controversial hospital merger, which is supposed to wrap up by the end of March.
At a Minnesota House hearing Monday, the CEOs of Fairview and Sanford defended the merger. Lawmakers also heard from critics.
A merger could mean the U of M's medical facilities, funded partly by Minnesota taxpayers, would be headquartered in South Dakota, where abortion is illegal and politics are a lot more conservative. Sanford and Fairview CEOs tried to ease fears.
"Access to gender-affirming and comprehensive reproductive health care will not change as a result of this merger," said James Hereford, CEO of Fairview Health Services.
Ellison says the March 31 deadline for the merger is too soon considering its magnitude.
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"It involved thousands of employees from both entities, and involved clearly thousands of patients," Ellison said.
Before the hearing, unions representing farmers, nurses and hospital workers spoke against the proposal, saying both Fairview and Sanford should be judged by what's happened in other communities.
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"With all of these examples, patients lost access to critical care and workers were displaced," said Rachel Hanneman with the Minnesota Nurses Association.
U of M medical students fear a merger would devalue their medical degrees.
"The U of M ranks top three in the nation in primary care. A lot of students come here for that academic excellence. Sanford, on the other hand, is unranked," said student Allison Leopold.
In 2013, then-Attorney General Lori Swanson blocked a similar merger between Fairview and Sanford. Attorney General Ellison could block the merger the same way it was blocked in 2013, but he says he is not ready to do that. He says in his view, it's very clear this merger needs to be delayed.
Monday's hearing was just informational. Later this week, a House committee will hear a bill designed to give the Minnesota Department of Health authority over the company if in fact the merger happens.