Cleveland Clinic and ProMedica Develop Health System Affiliation

TOLEDO, Ohio and CLEVELAND, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ProMedica and Cleveland Clinic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a health system affiliation that will better position both organizations to anticipate and proactively respond to the evolving healthcare landscape. 

As a result of this relationship, Cleveland Clinic and ProMedica will work together to create a clinically aligned network that will provide high-quality, cost-effective and technologically advanced clinical services in a framework of comprehensive population management.

"Through this affiliation, ProMedica and Cleveland Clinic will collaborate to address current and emerging national issues in healthcare while maintaining their caring missions to their local communities," says Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE, president and CEO of ProMedica.  "Who better to transform healthcare than healthcare.  This alliance represents an inside-out approach to healthcare transformation."

Initial opportunities for collaboration include: the Cleveland Clinic's Quality Alliance, shared services, clinical and operational standardization, and supply chain efficiencies, as well as patient access and information technology.

As the two organizations move forward with their health system affiliation, groundwork will be laid for further integration in the future.

"In this transformational time in healthcare, a new level of collaboration is required and health systems are integrating in unique ways," said Toby M. Cosgrove, M. D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Clinic. "This affiliation will allow Cleveland Clinic and ProMedica to work together to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and drive quality and value to patients."

The formal health system affiliation between the two organizations is a natural evolution of the Innovation Alliance ProMedica and Cleveland Clinic formed last year to help develop and commercialize medical innovation. 

Nationally, healthcare organizations are moving from a hospital-centric model to a more population-centric model.  What that means is:  Organizations are looking for new and innovative ways to collaborate to provide access to coordinated care across large populations; health systems will network to increase standardization of care and reduce care variation; and for these organizations there will be increased focus on providing care at the right place, the right time and at reduced cost.

"Increasingly, healthcare organizations from across larger geographic regions will network to improve care in local communities as well as for broader populations," says Stephen H. Staelin, chairman, ProMedica Board of Trustees. "What's being expected are new, sophisticated capabilities to deliver value-based care.  We can build these capabilities together, along with economies of scale and skill."

The first step in the health system affiliation is the establishment of an Affiliation Steering Committee to be co-chaired by representatives from Cleveland Clinic and ProMedica, with equal representation from both parties.   The steering committee will be responsible for oversight, guidance, and development of the relationship.

"This is an important step in the new healthcare realm, which will integrate Cleveland Clinic and ProMedica in deeper ways to enhance healthcare delivery and strengthen our ability to jointly explore additional clinical and functional collaborations," said Robert E. Rich, Chairman, Cleveland Clinic Board of Directors.

About ProMedica
Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica is a mission-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization formed in 1986. ProMedica has more than 14,400 employees and nearly 1,700 physicians with more than 500 healthcare providers employed by ProMedica Physicians, and a health plan, Paramount Health Care. Its 11 hospitals and more than 310 facilities offer comprehensive diagnostic, medical and surgical specialties in heart and vascular, oncology, orthopaedics, neurosciences, and women and pediatric services. ProMedica's mission is to improve health and well-being, with a strong focus on wellness and clinical excellence, as well as innovative, community advocacy programs that address health-related issues such as hunger and obesity. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, more than 75 Northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 16 full-service Family Health Centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2012, there were 5.1 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 157,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 130 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org.  Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

SOURCE ProMedica and Cleveland Clinic