Michigan State University and Henry Ford Health System Announce Plans for Primary Affiliation

Enhanced Collaboration will Address Disparities in Health Care Access Through Shared Education, Research and Clinical Goals

Detroit – Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University (MSU) announced today the two organizations have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to significantly expand their long-term partnership, a unique primary affiliation among the first of its kind for the region between a fully integrated academic health system and major state university. Committed to redesigning care around patients and communities through education, research and clinical care, the enhanced collaboration will focus on improving access, affordability and outcomes, especially for Detroit and Michigan’s most vulnerable populations.

“Partnerships with the potential for greater impact are more important than ever before,” said Wright Lassiter, III, president and CEO, Henry Ford Health System. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing injustices and recent protests in cities across our nation have amplified the importance of and urgency for innovation and discovery that radically improves the health of all of the communities we serve.” 

“Health care is one of the most important building blocks of a strong community, and for that we believe every individual deserves accessible, affordable, compassionate, quality care,” said Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., MSU’s president. “We must seek solutions to address disparities across cultural, racial and socioeconomic lines. This pandemic has demonstrated the willingness of individuals from multiple disciplines and from different organizations to unite – the time to build upon that is now."

The non-binding LOI was signed after months of talks and has several hallmark elements including a primary affiliation for a shared research enterprise, expanded opportunities for health students and long-term plan to build a joint Research Institute in Detroit, MI. Combined research areas will include Health Inequities and Disparities as well as Social Determinants of Health, Primary Care, Implementation Sciences, Precision Health and Cancer. 

“As a land-grant institution engaging in the highest level of research, we are defined by working with communities to address areas of greatest need and making a difference through partnerships. This effort will uniquely prepare our students to lead the way in improving health and health care in the future,” said Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., M.D., MSU’s executive vice president for health sciences, overseeing the colleges of Human Medicine, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine, as well as clinical practices. “Aligning the education, clinical and research strengths of Henry Ford, with MSU strengths campus-wide, we will drive discovery, enhance existing partnerships and ultimately bring more to bear in serving the communities of Michigan.”

Adnan Munkarah, M.D., Henry Ford Health System executive vice president and chief clinical officer, said the partnership will also enable the expansion of translational research, already a differentiator for Henry Ford. 

“Together, we have a tremendous opportunity to think about the whole care continuum,” said Dr. Munkarah. “From accelerating the speed at which patients benefit from new discoveries to working with our health plan on innovative care models to drive down costs – we will partner with patients, families and communities across their whole health care journey, including primary care and prevention to complex specialty care and chronic disease management.”

Another major partnership component includes a fully integrated cancer program, which will combine research and clinical applications to create a national and international destination for access to the most advanced cancer therapies and research, including a joint effort to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. 

Additionally, with both institutions sharing a long history of and commitment to medical education and training, MSU and Henry Ford will expand education opportunities for physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, focused on diversity, recruitment and retention, and revolutionized training models.

“One of the things about which I am most passionate is the amazing revitalization we’re continuing to see in our great city of Detroit,” said Steven N. Kalkanis, M.D., CEO, Henry Ford Medical Group and senior vice president and chief academic officer, Henry Ford Health System. “We know that providing a progressive approach to medical education – strongly rooted in early collaboration and integrated care modeling – can attract and retain the best and brightest health care talent. That’s a truly unique way we can promote economic growth and vitality for Detroit and all of Michigan.”

“The current brace of generational disruptions in our social, economic and health systems have highlighted disparities, inequities and inefficiencies that can and must be addressed,” said Norm Hubbard, MBA, chief business officer for MSU’s Office of Health Sciences. “Meeting that challenge and rising to that opportunity will require transformational thinking about how our care providers are educated, how we improve and sustain the health of our communities, and how we conduct the research and promote the innovation that will inform and drive not only incremental, but quantum improvements. The combined capabilities of these two great organizations, and importantly the cultural resonance between them, will allow us to create a unique platform with the ability to achieve those vital goals.”

The two organizations will now work toward a series of definitive agreements which they hope to finalize this fall.

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MEDIA CONTACTS: 
Henry Ford: Brenda Craig / VP, Strategic Communications / bcraig3@hfhs.org / 313.283.8331
MSU: Emily Gerkin Guerrant / VP and Spokesperson / emilyg@msu.edu / 517.353.7077

About Henry Ford Health System: 
Under the leadership of President and CEO Wright L. Lassiter, III, Henry Ford Health System is a $6.5 billion integrated health system comprised of six hospitals, a health plan, and 250+ sites including medical centers, walk-in and urgent care clinics, pharmacy, eye care facilities and other health care retail. Established in 1915 by auto industry pioneer Henry Ford, the health system has more than 33,000 employees and remains home to the 1,900-member Henry Ford Medical Group, one of the nation’s oldest physician groups. More than 2,500 physicians are also affiliated with the health system through the Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.

Henry Ford is also one of the region’s major academic medical centers, receiving nearly $100 million in annual research funding and ranking among Michigan’s largest NIH-funded institutions. Also an active participant in medical education and training, the health system has trained nearly 40% of physicians currently practicing in the state and also provides education and training for other health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, radiology and respiratory technicians.

About Michigan State University: 
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

For MSU news on the web, go to MSUToday. Follow MSU News on Twitter at twitter.com/MSUnews.