Mayo Clinic Threatens to Pull Investments in Minnesota Over Proposed Healthcare Legislation
The Mayo Clinic is threatening to pull its investments in Minnesota if two healthcare proposals being discussed in the state's legislature are not changed.[0] The proposals include the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, which seeks to limit patient loads by putting more nurses on hospital staffing committees, and the establishment of a Health Care Affordability Board. Mayo Clinic officials believe that these bills will negatively impact access to care and their ability to transform healthcare to support their staff and meet the evolving needs of patients. The healthcare giant is planning to invest billions of dollars in Minnesota, including the development of a Destination Medical Center, a multi-billion-dollar project aimed at revamping the city of Rochester where the health giant is located.
Mayo Clinic is the largest private employer in Minnesota, with over 48,000 workers. The company has been spearheading a decade-long redevelopment effort in Rochester to turn the small southern Minnesota city into the “Silicon Valley of medicine,” helped by hundreds of millions in public money.[1] However, Mayo Clinic believes that the current bills being discussed in the legislature will pose a huge threat to the well-being of Minnesota’s healthcare system as drafted.[1] The company has been working to address these concerns for months and is committed to transparently sharing the impacts of these policy decisions.[2]
The Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act would require hospitals to form committees made up of nurses and other staff to determine staffing plans and workload requirements. Mayo suggested a substantial modification to the legislation that would render it exempt from said stipulations in the email.[3] A registered nurse and author of the nursing bill in the Senate, Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, has expressed her disapproval of the exception being sought by Mayo Clinic.[1]
The Mayo Clinic is currently pursuing several investments in the state, including the development of a “Destination Medical Center” — a multi-billion-dollar project aimed at revamping the city of Rochester, where the health giant is located. Mayo Clinic officials have warned that committee-driven staffing ratios as required in the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act will exacerbate current staffing challenges. The legislation has been cautioned by hospitals that it will result in the closure of beds and negatively impact access for the most vulnerable patients.[4] The Bedside Nurse Retention Act overlooks the fact that staffing needs are constantly changing, require quick response, and depend on individual patient needs.[4] The state of Minnesota requires an increase in the number of nurses, rather than an increase in committees.[4]
Mayo Clinic has been working with leaders on a bill that is in the best interests of patients, the state, and Mayo Clinic.[2] However, the company believes that the bills proposed in their current form will negatively impact access to care and their ability to transform healthcare to support their staff and meet the evolving needs of patients. The Mayo Clinic cautioned that the staffing ratios mandated by the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, which rely on committee decisions, will only worsen the existing staffing issues. The legislation has been cautioned by hospitals that it will result in the closure of beds and negatively impact access for the most vulnerable patients.[4] The Bedside Nurse Retention Act overlooks the fact that staffing needs are constantly changing, require quick response, and depend on individual patient needs.[4] The state of Minnesota requires an increase in the number of nurses, rather than an increase in committees.[4]
0. “Mayo threatens to pull back on Minnesota projects if state health legislation advances” Star Tribune, 5 May. 2023, https://www.startribune.com/mayo-threatens-to-pull-back-on-minnesota-projects-if-state-health-legislation-advances/600272726/
1. “Mayo Clinic threatens to pull billions in investments over proposed legislation” Minnesota Reformer, 5 May. 2023, https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/05/05/mayo-clinic-threatens-to-pull-billions-in-investments-over-nurse-staffing-health-care-affordability-bills
2. “Mayo Clinic threatens to kill billions in state investment, if two health care bills pass” St. Paul Pioneer Press, 5 May. 2023, https://www.twincities.com/2023/05/05/mayo-clinic-threatens-to-kill-billions-in-state-investment-if-two-health-care-bills-pass
3. “Mayo Clinic pressures lawmakers over health budget bill” MPR News, 5 May. 2023, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/05/05/mayo-clinic-pressures-lawmakers-over-health-budget-bill
4. “Sen. Nelson: If Mayo Clinic and the state's care providers are sounding the alarm, then Gov. Walz and Legislators …” Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, 6 May. 2023, https://www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/sen-nelson-if-mayo-clinic-and-the-states-care-providers-are-sounding-the-alarm-then-gov-walz-and-legislators-should-listen
