MSU Board approves new health organization, updates indemnification policy

During its first meeting of the 2018-19 academic year, the Michigan State University Board of Trustees approved the creation of a new organization that encompasses MSU’s colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine and Nursing to be the multi-specialty group practice of the university.

The new entity, MSU Health Care, will be a 501(c)(3) organization that can form joint ventures with other health care entities to nurture a culture of safety, foster cost-efficient clinical practice and increase research opportunities. Replacing the current MSU HealthTeam, MSU Health Care will include 260 providers from 14 clinical departments at MSU, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, therapists and nutritionists.

The board also approved changes to the university’s indemnification policy to provide consistency between the policy and the way MSU has been interpreting the language.

Board members also authorized the planning phase for three projects: an observation tower and canopy walk at Hidden Lake Gardens, an MSU arboretum in Tipton, Michigan; an expansion at Munn Ice Arena; and installation of field lighting at Secchia softball stadium and McLane baseball stadium.

Other board items included:

• Creation of a University Policy Library
• A presentation by MSU biologist Ingo Braasch on the role fish play in helping understand human evolution
• A presentation on the launch of the new academic year
• Approval of the gifts, grants and contracts report with a total value of $155,049,062 in external funding received by MSU between May 22 and Aug. 3, 2018  

 The next board meeting will be Friday, Oct. 26.