The University of Toledo has developed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with OhioCare Health System Inc., the parent company of St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, that calls for the two entities to pursue an enhanced affiliation.
Dr. Jeffrey Gold, UT provost, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, updated the Board of Trustees on the MOU during today’s Finance Committee meeting.
St. Luke’s leadership and board will further consider the MOU at a board meeting later this week.
Gold said UT and St. Luke’s have successfully grown their relationship over the last several years, and the MOU is the next “very preliminary step” in continuing that progress.
UT already has several residents training at St. Luke’s, including in family medicine, and an emergency medicine program scheduled to begin this summer.
Although it’s too early to tell what a partnership may end up looking like, Gold said St. Luke’s location, physical space, strong reputation and excellent quality of care are among the many reasons it is an attractive partner.
The MOU paves the way for UT and St. Luke’s to enter formal discussions and conduct due diligence in order to reach agreement on a business model that is in the best interest of both parties and the community.
Ultimately, it is hoped an enhanced relationship would result in, among other things, improved training opportunities for health-care professional students and residents, improved patient satisfaction, the ability to recruit and retain more health-care professionals in the area, and the creation of an academic health center that ranks among the nation’s top 100.