UM Health, MidMichigan Systems Move Toward Affiliation

MidMichigan Health has agreed to affiliate with the University of Michigan Health System, creating a system with five acute care and two specialty hospitals providing service in the eastern-central portion of the state.

The parties reached terms on an affiliation agreement last week. Although specific financial terms were not disclosed, UM Health will hold a small minority interest in MidMichigan, and control two seats on it 17-seat board of directors.

MidMichigan had been referring some speciality patients to the UM Health campus under a long-standing agreement. It serves a 14-county region in the central part of the state. It operates four small hospitals with a combined total of 481 beds.

The UM Health system includes the main University Hospital, a children's hospital, and a woman's hospital. It also has a 1,700-physician medical group, among the largest in the state.

“Working together, we will improve the health of our patients,and find new ways to cooperate for better care,” said Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., UM's chief executive officer.

The two systems have also been focused on improving quality of care.

"Physicians at UMHS and MidMichigan Health are sharing clinical protocols and best practices with oneanother," said Lydia Watson, M.D., MidMichigan's safety officer. “One of the first advances we are making is physician to physician collaboration. Members of our medicalstaffs have had the opportunity to meet on a number of occasions, and this face-to-faceinteraction has beenvery valuable.”

A telemedicine venture is also being discussed, according to officials.