The Executive Steering Committee charged with the review of the Academic Health Center (AHC) submitted its final report and a copy of the comments received to President Kaler on November 8. The final report and comments can be viewed by following the links at the end of this post.

The Executive Steering Committee reviewed comments submitted on the draft report and found that they fell into three major categories:
1) Substantive comments on the committee's recommendations (agreements and disagreements);
2) Suggestions and comments on issues outside the scope of the committee's charge;
3) Correction of factual errors.

At President Kaler's request, the Executive Steering Committee revised its draft report to correct factual errors but made no other substantive changes in the report's findings and recommendations. Rather, the Executive Steering Committee is submitting its report and all of the comments received during the comment period to the President for his review and consideration.

Members of the Executive Steering Committee would like to thank all those who provided input during the review process. The final report represents a significant effort on the part of members of the Executive Steering Committee, subcommittees and working groups, as well as many faculty and staff who participated in listening sessions or submitted comments.

After reviewing the final report and comments received, President Kaler will communicate next steps in the AHC review process later this month.

Click links below to access:

Final report (32 pgs.)
Comments received (83 pgs.)

Links to report appendices and subcommittee reports can be found here.

At the request of faculty governance groups, the deadline for submitting comments on the draft AHC Review report has been extended to midnight on Oct. 14, 2011, in order to provide additional time for key stakeholders to submit comments.

Given how important faculty feedback is to the review process, the executive steering committee co-chairs agreed to extend the deadline in order to provide more time for faculty discussion and consideration of the draft report.

Comments on the draft report can be submitted via an online tool.

The Executive Steering Committee charged by President Bruininks and Provost Sullivan with the review of the Academic Health Center (AHC) has completed the data gathering and analysis phases of the process. Their draft report offering recommendations about the role of the AHC at the University of Minnesota is now available for review.

In keeping with the original project plan, the Executive Steering Committee is also soliciting comments on the draft report from interested members of the University community. This has always been recognized as an important phase of the AHC review process, so the Executive Steering Committee encourages responses from the community prior to its submitting the final report.

The Executive Steering Committee's draft report, the reports from the three subcommittees (Mission/Vison, Administrative Infrastructure, Centers and Programs), reference material and a list of those involved in the review process or consulted in the course of the review can be found on this website.

The website page with all the documents also includes a link to an electronic tool where comments on the draft report may be submitted. Responders are asked to utilize this tool in order to facilitate the compilation of feedback for the Executive Steering Committee's consideration at the end of the public comment period, which closes at midnight on September 30. All comments submitted will be considered public, and responders will be required to log in using their x.500 i.d.

The Executive Steering Committee will consider all feedback and, at its discretion, may revise the draft report accordingly.

Below are links to the draft report from the Executive Steering Committee, reports from the 3 subcommittees, and other documents related to the AHC Review. Comments on the draft report can be submitted via an online form through UMSurvey.

The comment period will close at midnight on Fri., Sept. 30, 2011.

Draft Report from the Executive Steering Committee.

Appendices to the draft report:

Appdx A: Charge Letter

Appdx B: Review Structure

Appdx C: Consultation Summary

Appdx D: Interdisciplinary and Shared Units

Appdx E: Peer Institutions

Appdx F: Deans Statement of Critical Issues

Reports of the subcommittees:

Mission and Value Subcommittee report

Administrative Infrastructure Subcommittee report

Centers and Programs Subcommittee report

The deadline for completing the survey has been extended to May 13, 2011. Please take a moment to complete the survey -- your participation would be greately appreciated. The survey can be accessed by clicking here.

The survey is limited to respondents who are currently affiliated with the University of Minnesota, and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Respondents to the survey will remain anonymous.

The Mission and Value subcommittee has developed a survey to provide an opportunity for input from a broad cross section of the University. As part of the AHC Review, this survey seeks input from the University of Minnesota community regarding:
- the mission and value of an academic health center at the University;
- the schools and colleges that would substantially contribute to the AHC;
- ways to increase academic collaboration between and among AHC and other schools and programs at the University.

This survey is limited to respondents who are currently affiliated with the University of Minnesota, and your participation would be greately appreciated. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, and respondents to the survey will remain anonymous. The survey will be open until April 30, 2011.

The survey can be accessed by clicking here.

We would like to provide an important update on the status of the review of the Academic Health Center.

In keeping with the charge from the President and Provost to the Executive Steering Committee, the overall objective of the review process is to identify the best organizational configuration for the collegiate, academic, and service units currently in the AHC to optimize the teaching, research, and outreach missions of the health sciences in alignment with the University's strategic objectives.

The Executive Steering Committee is exploring a full range of options that span the continuum from no changes in the current AHC structure, to significant AHC reorganization. Each of the three subcommittees -- Mission and Value, Administrative Infrastructure, and Academic Centers and Programs -- has been charged with the same task: to explore a full range of options and provide recommendations based on their findings. There are no predetermined outcomes for this review.

The charge letter from President Bruininks and Provost Sullivan laid out an aggressive timetable for the review, requesting preliminary recommendations by April 1, 2011, followed by a period of public comment, and a final report by early May. Given the scope of the review, the volume of information to be examined, and the level of consultation that is required, we requested and received an extension of the review timeline.

The proposed timeline for key phases of the review has been revised as follows:
March through May - consultation, data gathering and analysis
June 1 - preliminary recommendations published
June 2-17 - public comment period
June 30 - final report delivered to President and Provost

Updated information during the course of the Executive Steering Committee's review is available on this website. Check the site for updates and progress status.

Given the importance of this review we want to be sure to provide faculty and staff ample opportunities to provide input, both during the review process and on the preliminary recommendations. The Executive Steering Committee and the three subcommittees include faculty representatives, and subcommittees have already consulted with faculty governance groups across the University and will continue to do so throughout the review process. A survey will soon be fielded by the Mission and Value subcommittee, providing an opportunity for input from a broad cross section of the University. This website also provides a comment tool that individuals may use to submit input to the Steering and/or subcommittees anytime during the review process.

As indicated in the revised timeline above, there will also be a public comment period where members of the University community will be invited to provide input on the preliminary recommendations. All comments received during that period will be made public and reviewed by the Executive Steering Committee. Where appropriate, recommendations received during the comment period will be incorporated into the final report.

Sometime before the final report is complete, President Bruininks and President-Designate Kaler will send out a communication regarding their plans for reviewing and implementing the report.

We hope that this clarifies the goals, timeline, and process for the AHC Review. We will continue to provide periodic updates, and we encourage you to keep informed and look for opportunities to contribute.

Sincerely,

Aaron Friedman
Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the Medical School

Tim Mulcahy
Vice President for Research

As part of the communications plan for the Academic Health Center review that is currently underway, this website is intended to serve as a central resource for information about the review.

The website is organized so that updates and current news and announcements appear on the homepage. Visitors can post comments and ask questions on the updates via x.500 authentication. All comments will be moderated.

In addition, there are pages devoted to various aspects of the review:

About the AHC Review
- General information about the review
- List of Executive Steering Committee members
- Background documents

Each of the 3 subcommittees -- Mission and Value, Centers and Programs, Administrative Infrastructure -- has a dedicated page where the following information is posted:
- Charge and scope of work for the subcommittee
- List of subcommittee members
- Relevant documents

Periodic updates on review activity will be distributed from co-chairs Friedman and Mulcahy via existing University communications vehicles such as Brief, AHC News Capsules, Research News Online, college/unit vehicles, and existing listservs. The updates will direct recipients to this website for details.

Please email OVPR Communications with any questions about this website.

The Feb. 3, 2011, edition of AHC News Capsules included the message below from Aaron Friedman, Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the Medical School:

With the review of the Academic Health Center just getting underway, I want to give you a brief update on our work. The Executive Steering Committee that Vice President Mulcahy and I chair has met twice to review the charge given to us by President Bruininks and Provost Sullivan and to organize our work.

The committee will divide into three working subcommittees. The first will focus on the mission and value of the Academic Health Center at the University. We will be reviewing previous strategic plans, the experience of other universities, and information about the strengths and weaknesses of the current structure and delineation of the value that an Academic Health Center brings to the University. I am chairing the subcommittee; other members include Patrick Lloyd, Al Levine, and Wes Miller.

The second will focus on the AHC's administrative infrastructure. This subcommittee is chaired by Kathleen O'Brien. Other members include Carol Carrier, Gary Davis, Steve Cawley, and Connie Delaney. The third, which will be chaired by Michael Oakes, will focus on AHC centers and programs. Its other members include Jean Quam and Tim Mulcahy.

We will address what role the AHC should play and how a university can maximize the value of its AHC, and we will work to explain the role of the AHC to the broader University community. Within that broader context, we will examine the AHC's administrative services and academic programs for synergy, any potential duplication, and future needs of the University and its health sciences.

We will be reaching out broadly to AHC and University leaders, faculty, staff, students, and key stakeholders for input and discussion; and we are committed to providing regular updates to you. We will have more information about our work plans shortly. I encourage you to keep informed and look for opportunities to contribute.