At a time when communities nationwide are expecting health-care organizations to find better, more efficient ways to collaborate, The University of Toledo and ProMedica Health System are taking the lead by entering into an academic relationship pending approval at this afternoon’s UT Board of Trustees meeting that will significantly strengthen ties between the two organizations.
As a result of this agreement, The University of Toledo will manage and oversee academic endeavors across the ProMedica system under the guidance of a new joint Academic Health Center Board comprised of equal representation from ProMedica and The University of Toledo.
“In signing this agreement, we engage with a strong academic partner that addresses an essential need for ProMedica in achieving our vision to increase our role as an academic medical center and to expand our capabilities in clinical education excellence, research and grants,” said Randy Oostra, president and chief executive officer for ProMedica.
“This partnership will further strengthen the education University of Toledo medical students and physicians-in-training will receive,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, UT Health Science Campus provost, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. “By expanding the clinical experiences of UT students under the guidance of ProMedica physicians, we are creating the next generation of leaders within the medical community.”
This academic partnership includes collaboration with respect to ProMedica research, grants and residency programs (including the Family Practice Residency Program at Toledo Hospital and Flower Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, Jobst Vascular Surgery Residency and the Toledo Hospital Primary Care Sports Medicine Residency), as well as fellowship, clerkship, nursing, pharmacy, allied health and continuing education.
Additionally, the University will provide administrative assistance in helping facilitate more clinical research conducted at ProMedica.
This academic partnership is built on a foundation of collaboration and cooperation, according to Larry Peterson, chair of the ProMedica Board of Trustees. “As a nonprofit, mission-based health-care organization, ProMedica’s overarching goal is to improve health,” Peterson said. “Combined with the University’s mission to advance knowledge and enhance learning, the communities of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan will benefit for generations to come as these shared and blended goals will continue to create a community that is the best place to live, learn and grow.”
“A strong University of Toledo and ProMedica partnership represents one of this region’s untapped resources,” said Olivia Summons, chair of The University of Toledo Board of Trustees. “We are proud to work together to improve clinical education and ensure a new generation of professionals is ready to meet the demands of the communities we serve in the years and decades ahead.”
Creating a stronger partnership between ProMedica and The University of Toledo will help lead to a more vibrant and robust health-care community that will result in an increase in clinical excellence throughout the region, leaders said.
This academic partnership helps both organizations get ahead of the health-care reform curve, according to Dr. Lee Hammerling, chief medical officer for ProMedica. “Nationwide, resources are shrinking while the need for top-quality health care has never been higher. The enhanced level of cooperation and collaboration between The University of Toledo and ProMedica is proactive and provides a strong, more efficient model as we anticipate the community’s needs in this new era of health care.”
“This relationship will help create an environment for The University of Toledo and ProMedica to be recognized among the top tier medical organizations in the country,” said UT President Lloyd Jacobs. “Working together will bring increased clinical research opportunities, lead to innovative new treatment options, and ultimately create a higher quality of health care for this region.”
