The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Mercy Health Launch New Alliance

CINCINNATI and COLUMBUS, Ohio,  /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers, and Mercy Health, a Catholic health ministry serving Ohio and Kentucky (part of Bon Secours Mercy Health), have launched Healthy State Alliance, a bold new ambition to tackle Ohio's most critical health needs and truly make a difference in improving the health of communities.

The Alliance brings together two organizations with complementary missions, capabilities and talents. Wexner Medical Center offers highly specialized and differentiated clinical services and more than 2,000 clinical trials. Mercy Health brings a vast geographic footprint with proven clinical services and a thriving accountable care organization. Together, they have created the Alliance to leverage their respective strengths, significantly expand access to life-changing care and improve the health of all of those they serve.

The Healthy State Alliance has identified 10 objectives. Due to the pressing health care needs in the state, it will focus early efforts on three objectives in particular: addressing the opioid epidemic and increasing access to cancer and transplant care.

• Ohio is among the top five worst states¹ in the nation with the highest rate of opioid-related deaths¹; more than 4,000 Ohioans died of unintentional overdose in 2016².
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Ohio and the United States³. Ohio is among the nation's leaders in both cancer rates and cancer-related deaths – with more than 25,000 Ohioans dying from cancer in 2016⁴.
• One Ohioan dies every other day waiting for a life-saving transplant, and more than 3,000 Ohioans are waiting for a life‐saving transplant at any given time⁵.

"This is a phenomenal opportunity to combine our expansive footprint with one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers to ensure our patients get access to the best available care closer to home," said John M. Starcher, Jr., President and CEO, Bon Secours Mercy Health. "Together, we can work in new and creative ways that haven't been done before. We will be nimble, share our best thinking and collaborate among our care providers much faster than we could by working alone."

Together, the organizations have a shared vision for a better health care future and a focused mission to treat every person they serve with dignity, respect and excellence. The Alliance will also bring exciting opportunities for collaboration and access to continuing medical and graduate education, and training for the organizations' employees and physicians.

"We are determined to create healthier communities throughout the state of Ohio and across the region. Through the Healthy State Alliance, we are uniquely positioned for success based on our shared vision of convenient access to differentiated clinical care across the state, a relentless focus on quality, our combined size and scale, a focus on decreasing costs and our similar values and culture," said David McQuaid, Chief Executive Officer, The Ohio State University Health System and Chief Operating Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The collective resources of both organizations will fuel the Alliance's bold ambition, providing increased access to more than 50,000 team members and more than 600 points of care throughout the state. Additionally, patients will benefit from enhanced access to one of the nation's premier transplant centers that has already saved more than 9,600 lives, one of only 49 National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country and assets of one of America's leading research universities, which will be leveraged to address the most critical health needs in Ohio and beyond.

Please visit healthystateforall.org for more information on Healthy State Alliance.

About The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Part of The Ohio State University, one of America's leading research universities, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is one of the most preeminent and diverse academic medical centers in the country and the only academic medical center in central Ohio. With more than 23,000 faculty and staff, Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center includes: a top-35 College of Medicine; one of only 49 National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country; seven hospitals; a unified physician practice; a network of primary and specialty care practices; more than 20 research centers and institutes; and 25 core laboratories and more than 2,000 active clinical trials in virtually every medical specialty.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Comprehensive Transplant Center has been providing exceptional care for organ transplant patients for 50 years, and we're among the best and busiest centers in the nation. We're 15^th in the country by number of transplants performed, and in the top 10 percent for number of kidney transplants.  

Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center is the only central Ohio hospital listed in "America's Best Hospitals" rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Ten of Ohio State's medical specialties are recognized for excellence in the magazine, deemed one of the country's leading consumer guides to top-performing hospitals. For more information, visit www.wexnermedical.osu.edu.

About Mercy Health
Mercy Health is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMHealth.org), one of the top 20 health systems in the United States and part of the top performing quartile of Catholic health systems for lowest cost per case for patient care. Mercy Health is the leading health system in Ohio and among the top five employers in the state, with more than 33,500 employees serving communities throughout Ohio and in Kentucky. Mercy Health provided care for patients more than 6.8 million times in 2017. The system includes assets of $6.8 billion and nearly 500 care facilities including 23 hospitals and 26 post-acute care facilities. Its clinically integrated network of more than 2,800 health care providers coordinates more effective and efficient care for more than 350,000 patients, saving money for taxpayers through the Medicare Shared Savings Program. As part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, the ministry provides nearly $2 million per day in community benefit.

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¹ The National Institute of Drug Abuse
² Ohio Department of Health
³ Ohio Department of Health
⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
⁵ Ohio Department of Health

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SOURCE Mercy Health