Rush University System for Health (RUSH) and Franciscan Alliance Inc., have signed a letter of intent and associated services agreement that will provide advisory services to assist Franciscan Health Olympia Fields in graduate medical education and physician recruitment throughout 2022.
Leaders from both health systems underscored the value of the collaboration that will result from the letter of intent and services agreement.
“This partnership brings together two healthcare systems committed to medical education that inspires innovative teaching, lifelong learning, service and research. Additionally, we share a common mission to provide the highest quality of healthcare and improve access to care across the communities we serve,” said Allan M. Spooner, president and CEO of Franciscan Health Olympia Fields. “Our goal is to leverage each organization’s expertise to strengthen and embolden our clinical and academic excellence for years to come.”
Under the agreement, RUSH will support Franciscan Health Olympia Fields in strengthening its 12 graduate medical education programs. Olympia Fields has about 170 trainees who would be able to participate in RUSH grand rounds and other educational activities. RUSH offers more than 70 highly selective residency and fellowship programs in medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties.
“This partnership will enable us to help educate more medical residents, fulfilling our commitment to train the next generation of healthcare providers,” said Dr. Joy Sclamberg, associate dean of medical education at Rush University. “Ultimately, this benefits the patients for whom we are privileged to care.”
“For Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, this affiliation with one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers will help enhance our major teaching hospital’s 12 postdoctoral training programs and boost our ability to recruit and retain physician faculty in our service area,” said Dr. Vernell Johnson III, chief medical officer, vice president of Medical Affairs and designated institutional official. “Our relationship with RUSH will allow Franciscan to expand the number of local specialists, improve the quality of clinical care and increase access to research programs and clinical trials.”
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to support Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, and the patients in the communities they serve,” said Paul Casey, MD, MBA, FACEP, chief medical officer of RUSH University Medical Center and interim president of faculty practice for RUSH University Medical Group. “By collaborating on a range of health professional training and education programs and in advocacy in support of healthcare issues, we help to ensure ongoing availability of healthcare providers and continued advancement and innovation in medicine.”
About RUSH
RUSH University Medical Center is an academic medical center that includes a 671-bed hospital serving adults and children, the 61-bed Johnston R. Bowman Health Center and RUSH University. For more than 180 years, the Medical Center has been leading the way in developing innovative and often life-saving treatments. Today, RUSH is a thriving center for basic and clinical research, with physicians and scientists involved in hundreds of research projects developing and testing the effectiveness and safety of new therapies and medical devices. Our continued pursuits have earned RUSH University Medical Center the distinction of being on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2021-2022. This places the Medical Center among the top 20 of the 3,000 hospitals evaluated.
About Franciscan
Franciscan Alliance is headquartered in Mishawaka, Indiana, and serves patients in Indiana and Illinois. It is one of the Midwest’s largest Catholic healthcare systems. Along with its major teaching hospital in Olympia Fields, Franciscan Alliance provides primary and specialty care services throughout Indiana, including five community hospitals in Northwest Indiana and hospitals in the Lafayette and Indianapolis metro areas.