Regents meeting to vote on buying Clarkson’s half of Nebraska Medicine delayed

A vote to decide if the University of Nebraska system will buy out Clarkson Regional Health Services for its half of Nebraska Medicine has been delayed.

The meeting will now be Jan. 15 at 9 a.m. in Varner Hall. The official agenda for the meeting will be posted Friday by 5 p.m. NU officials said in a news release that the meeting was postponed, "in order to optimize meeting participation and to provide more time for members of the community, patients, state leaders and other stakeholders to better understand the proposal."

The regents were set to consider an $800 million purchase with Clarkson that includes buying its share of the partnership for $500 million and buying a Clarkson-area property for $300 million. Clarkson would also give the university a $200 million donation.

A group of 32 Nebraska state senators sent a letter to the regents Thursday afternoon, urging them to postpone the vote until "all viable alternatives have been considered and until all stakeholders understand the impact of the proposal for the state and these two great institutions."

"While the Board of Regents Agenda Item Summary for the January ninth meeting indicates that the Board has 'negotiated the final agreement over a series of meetings in the past 18 months,' the public and the Legislature have had very limited visibility to understand the proposal, its impact, and any financial implications of such a transaction," State Sen. Brad von Gillern wrote in the letter.

The move was announced in the first week of the new year. Since then, the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors has spoken out against the deal, launching a website saying the buyout would take away the independent structure of Nebraska Medicine.

NU leaders say patients will see no difference in the quality of care or costs and Nebraska Medicine will remain a nonprofit medical center, according to a news release on Jan. 2.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Clarkson Regional Health Services as Clarkson College. The story has been updated to reflect the correction.