TAYLOR, Mich. – Wayne State University and Oakwood Healthcare System on June 4 will formally sign an agreement that will extend the affiliation agreement covering medical education between the two for another 10 years.
The agreement will be marked by a formal signing ceremony between WSU and Oakwood officials at Oakwood Heritage Hospital in Taylor. The agreement renews the long-term partnership between both institutions that began in 2006, and extends it for another decade, supporting enhanced medical education, research and clinical care.
“This partnership strengthens the coalition of two of Michigan’s medical powerhouses, and it will continue to benefit the people of Michigan,” said Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour. “Wayne State University and our School of Medicine are committed to improving the health of Michigan. I want to thank the leaders of Oakwood Healthcare System for assisting us in continuing that commitment.”
Oakwood Healthcare System hospitals are home to both Oakwood and WSU residency training programs. In addition, 48 WSU medical students currently receive their clinical training at Oakwood in various specialties. Physicians who graduate from the WSU School of Medicine have the opportunity to further their medical education as residents in Oakwood programs, and provide care for thousands of patients served by the Oakwood Healthcare System.
“We are extremely happy to extend our affiliation with Wayne State University,” said Brian Connolly, president and chief executive officer of Oakwood Health System. “This is a win for many people: medical students receive training in our state-of-the-art medical facilities, and our patients receive care from Wayne State University Physician Group doctors who are at the cutting edge of academically-backed medical science from one of Michigan’s premier medical and research institutions.”
The affiliation is considered an “evergreen” agreement, meaning that it will renew for another 10 years in 2022 unless the parties agree to dissolve the arrangement.
“Our partnership with Oakwood has been an extraordinary experience as expressed by our medical students,” said Valerie M. Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., dean of the WSU School of Medicine. “This long-term agreement secures this valuable training experience for future WSU medical students and reinforces our commitment of being the leading producer of physicians for the great state of Michigan.”
“This commitment is critical to the future of health care in our region and beyond,” said Michael Geheb, M.D., executive vice president of Oakwood Healthcare System and a graduate of the WSU School of Medicine. “As Oakwood Healthcare System continues to grow and offer services at even more locations,Wayne State University physicians provide excellent care.”
The signing ceremony, which is open to the media, will take place at 5 p.m. at Oakwood Heritage Hospital, 10000 Telegraph Road, Taylor, Mich. Members of the media who wish to attend the event or who require more information should call Philip Van Hulle, WSU information officer, at 313-577-6943, or Scott Spielman, Marketing/Media Relations officer for Oakwood Healthcare System at 313-586-5474.
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. Its School of Medicine is the largest single-campus medical school in the nation with more than 1,200 medical students. In addition to undergraduate medical education, the school offers master’s degree, Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. programs in 14 areas of basic science to about 400 students annually. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://www.research.wayne.edu.
About Oakwood Healthcare System:
Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., Oakwood Healthcare System is a comprehensive regional healthcare network that serves residents over a 500-square-mile area. Comprised of four acute care hospitals, 45 primary and specialty care sites and four centers of excellence, Oakwood provides services to more than 1 million people in 35 communities. As the second largest employer in suburban Wayne County, Oakwood is home to more than 9,000 employees and 1,300 physicians representing nearly every medical and surgical specialty and subspecialty. Oakwood has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks, one of Metro Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and a finalist for the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. For more information about Oakwood, visit www.oakwood.org.