The long-expected partnership between Henry Ford Health System and Wayne State University in Detroit was made official Friday as the two organizations announced they signed a letter of intent.
Officials at the respective organizations said they intend to collaborate in patient care, research and community health, and expand "an innovative curriculum for the education and training of the next generation of medical and health professionals."
The goal of the partnership is to improve the health of the diverse populations of the region, particularly the most vulnerable populations. Officials said they expect to finalize the details of the partnership in early 2019.
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Under the partnership, officials said:
- Henry Ford Hospital would be designated the primary institutional affiliate for the WSU School of Medicine, the WSU College of Nursing and the WSU Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
- The two organizations will create a joint Health Sciences Center—which will not be a physical location, but a separate operating and governance structure—to provide strategic and collaborative input for the partnership's clinical, research and educational programs and activities.
The partnership is not a merger nor an acquisition and will not block either institution from partnering with other entities, officials said.
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The news comes just over a month after Henry Ford inked its first-ever "direct to employer" healthcare contract with General Motors to deliver both healthcare management and wellness services to salaried GM employees and their families in southeast Michigan.
It also comes as Henry Ford Hospital prepares to bring on a new CEO, Chip Davis, formerly the CEO of Johns Hopkins-owned Sibley Memorial Hospital in D.C., in November.
This is not the first time Henry Ford and Wayne State have worked together. More than 100 Wayne State Medical students are doing clinical rotations in Henry Ford Hospital. Henry Ford's Bone and Joint Center is located in Wayne State's Integrated Biosciences Center.