U health programs are critical to state's well-being

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Each of us served as Minnesota's governor for eight years. Whatever our differences, one issue we fundamentally agree upon is how critically important the University of Minnesota's academic health programs are to the long-term health and well-being of the state we call home.

The U's Medical School, School of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Public Health, School of Dentistry and College of Veterinary Medicine are some of Minnesota's most important strategic assets. They are major contributors to our quality of life.

Since the founding of both the state and the university in the 1850s, the U has played a key role in Minnesota. We know the public good resulting from investments in the university includes an enormous return in quality health care, medical expertise and innovation, all of which help make Minnesota the best state in the country in which to live, work and raise a family.

Each year, the university graduates 80% of the doctors in Minnesota from its campuses in the Twin Cities and Duluth (and soon, hopefully, in St. Cloud). Today, 70% of all the physicians practicing in Minnesota trained at the U. Those doctors and other health professionals work and live in communities large and small throughout Minnesota, adding immeasurably to their social fabrics. The health care facilities that employ them boost those economies with their payroll dollars and other expenditures.

The U's expertise has played a leading role in advancing life-changing innovations in medical devices, biomedical technology and inventions that have improved our health and spawned hundreds of health care business, which have employed many Minnesotans and also recruited to our state thousands of highly skilled women and men. The U helps fuel our state's renowned "Medical Alley."

This is why we both testified before the Legislature in support of the university's request to control and reacquire its flagship hospitals from Fairview Health Services, prior to Fairview's intended merger with Sanford Health. As a core principle, the assets of our public research university should never be owned by an entity based in another state. We would be as opposed if an out-of-state equity fund or large national health system attempted to purchase the U's hospitals. The future of our flagship public university's medical facilities and health mission must be governed by a Minnesota entity. Period.

As our country emerges from the disruptions of a global pandemic, we all also need to recognize that health care delivery nationwide is broken and in need of significant innovation and transformation. The U can help lead the efforts to cast a new vision for health care delivery — and it can both identify and model the changes needed to significantly improve the delivery of care.

The university's health enterprise has also matured significantly since the mid-1990s. Today, the Medical School's faculty operate as a strong multi-specialty physician practice called M Physicians. They provide leading edge care for patients across the state of Minnesota seeking a collaborative team approach to their health.

The state's large budget surplus provides the opportunity to ensure that the university's academic health center can continue its absolutely critical role for Minnesota. We should also provide the funding to upgrade facilities, sustain top-tier medical education, and attract and retain the best and brightest future doctors, nurses and other health professionals.

Every other state wants the premier medical and health services we enjoy in Minnesota. The challenges in remaining the very best are significant. The consequences of failing to make the investments and take the actions essential in such a competitive environment for talent would be severe for Minnesota.

The U's big maroon M is a valuable brand for a reason. Minnesotans know what it means when it comes to health care. Our state has reaped the benefits from its investments in the university's academic health enterprise for generations. Let's invest now to ensure future generations receive the same.

Mark Dayton (2011-19) and Tim Pawlenty (2003-2011) are former governors of Minnesota.