Traditionally non-profit operators, academic health centers across the United States are increasingly looking toward the for-profit sector to spur innovation and achieve more sustainable healthcare delivery.

Add Michigan State University’s medical school to that list. Last month, it reorganized to allow such partnerships.

“The newly formed Michigan State University Health Care has the ability to form joint ventures and partnerships with for-profit businesses. Under the previous structure, MSU could only partner with nonprofits,” reported MiBiz‘s Mark Sanchez.

“MSU seeks to work with innovators without having to control the resulting intellectual property, an issue that leads some entrepreneurs to steer away from seeking academic assistance,” he wrote.

The university hopes that its new structure will attract startups and other healthcare disruptors to work more closely with its researchers and educators, and lead to more rapid change in the industry.

Read the full story here, in MiBiz.