NU President Dr. Jeff Gold.
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Michael Shively
News Channel Nebraska
LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska is moving forward with purchasing Clarkson Regional Health’s share of Nebraska Medicine.
The Board of Regents voted 7-0 in favor of the proposal on Thursday. The approval means NU will take over full ownership of Nebraska Medicine in June.
NU will pay Clarkson $500 million and purchase land and buildings owned by Clarkson for the appraised market value of $300 million.
As part of the deal, Clarkson will donate $200 million to the university. The money will be used to support Project Health, the ongoing facility replacement project on the University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha campus.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Regent Jim Scheer said. “It’s going to outlive any one of us, even our younger regents here, and be beneficial to the state of Nebraska, our students, the healthcare of Nebraska.”
NU President Dr. Jeff Gold says the university started thinking about the change in July 2024 when Clarkson shared its intent to back out of the 50-50 partnership. Many of the regents and university officials who spoke at Thursday’s meeting said purchasing Clarkson’s share eliminates uncertainty.
“We cannot afford to sit on the sideline and take the gamble of having an unknown entity come in to fill that partner role, but rather have the university itself as the sole governance as several other major and prestigious universities currently do successfully,” UNMC Chancellor Dr. Dele Davies said.
Regent Rob Schafer was specific in his fear, saying he wanted to avoid having a private equity firm become 50 percent partners in Nebraska Medicine.
Davies called it a historically generous offer from Clarkson, saying it is worth less than half the appraised value of the health system’s interests in Nebraska Medicine. The board’s vote came on the final day of the university’s exclusive negotiating window with Clarkson.
The decision comes after many affiliated with Nebraska Medicine said they were opposed to the decision. Notably, three former Nebraska Medicine CEOs issued a public letter calling it a “state takeover.” They said they don’t want the government, and it’s budget problems, involved in running the health system.
The regents and university officials who spoke Thursday acknowledged the concerns and pledged to be get involved with hospital operations.
“We have never discussed any type of major change in the system of management of Nebraska Medicine. Never,” Scheer said.
Gold said his decision to recommend the purchased to the Board was based on the med center’s mission and the Hippocratic Oath.
“I said that I would heal people, I would do my very best, that altruism and humanism and professionalism were key, and above all, I swore to do no harm,” Gold said.
