Sanford CEO Needs To Look In The Mirror

In the blink of an eye, the Fairview-Sanford merger talks started and ended.  In case you missed it, here is a fast-forward screenplay of how the Fairview-Sanford merger talks played out.

(Dark stage)

Fairview and Sanford CEOs:   (Unintelligible whispers)

(Stage lights come on)

Minnesota Attorney General :  Hey guys, I heard you’re talking about a merger that impacts lots of Minnesotans.  What’s in it for them?

Sanford CEO:   It’s our destiny to be big and go east.

Fairview CEO:  Mumble, mumble, the talks are only in the early stages.

Minnesota Attorney General:  But what’s in it for Minnesotans?  They paid for that University Medical Center.

Sanford: We’re not feeling welcome.  I declare these merger negotiations  over.

(Curtain falls abruptly)

Okay, so it was a little more extensive than that, but not much.  Take a look at how Sanford Health’s CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft was selling the merger: Continue reading

Fairview-Sanford Merger: The Right and Wrong Questions to Ask

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is right to scrutinize the proposed merger of Fairview Health System and Sanford Health System.  It could have a big impact on Minnesota taxpayers, and it shouldn’t only be discussed by Sanford and Fairview C-suiters.  The discussion should be out in the open.

So now that Attorney General Swanson has moved the Fairview-Sanford merger issue into the sunshine, what questions should Minnesotans be asking about it? So far, some of the questions have been excellent, and some have been silly. Continue reading