U Of M Exploring Medical Center Merger

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The University of Minnesota is exploring options to improve its medical center.

The Board of Regents voted Friday to start talking about combining Fairview Health Services with private University of Minnesota Physicians.

The fully integrated health system would be called University of Minnesota Health.

Board members say combining the two organizations would improve health, allow for new treatment discoveries and further educate students and workers.

"This combination will also help our medical school into the top tier of institutions across the country a key priority of mine and this board," said U of M president Eric Kaler.

The next phase of discussions will come in the following months.

A final vote is expected to come in spring 2016.