Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has appointed former Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm to lead a new task force on the future of the new University of Minnesota health care system.
The appointment comes in the wake of the cancellation of the planned merger between Fairview Health Services, which currently partners with and helps fund the U's medical center, and South Dakota-based Sanford Health.
"Without support for this transaction from certain stakeholders, we have determined it is in the best interest of Fairview Health Services to discontinue the merger process," said James Hereford, CEO of Fairview Health Services.
Walz's office says the group will be tasked with ensuring that Minnesotans can continue to receive the highest-quality care in a financially sustainable way.
“The University of Minnesota’s Health Sciences Programs provide critical education, training, and research to support the next generation of health care professionals and provide high-quality care for Minnesotans,” said Governor Walz. “I am calling together this group of leaders and health care experts to work to ensure that the future of Minnesota’s academic health remains strong.”
The university opposed the merger from the beginning because leaders did not want the facility to be under the control of an out-of-state entity.
Malcolm recently retired from the Minnesota Department of Health after leading the state's COVID response for several years.