The president of the University of Toledo (Ohio) issued a letter last week notifying faculty and staff the university is in the process of developing a plan for the University of Toledo Medical Center, The Blade reports.
The letter comes about a year after the academic medical center inked an academic affiliation agreement with Toledo-based ProMedica to enter a 50-year academic affiliation. Under the affiliation, ProMedica will grant $50 million annually to UTMC and will invest $250 million in a new college of medicine.
Here are three thoughts President Sharon Gaber, PhD, discussed in her letter.
1. UT officials are continuing to review UTMC's services and clinics to help "set a direction" for the facilities, according to the report. Dr. Gaber wrote UTMC is seeing the same challenges as hospitals nationwide, including reimbursement changes, capital needs and continuing financial viability.
2. Dr. Gaber told The Blade campus staff were asked what they thought UTMC's future looked like, with options including focusing on cancer or primary care. In the letter, she said officials hope to develop a plan for UTMC that provides healthcare access to patients and meets the needs of UT students training at the facility.
3. Dr. Gaber reassured staff, students and others there are still no plans to change ownership or enforce layoffs this summer, echoing a statement she made earlier this year. However, when asked about a possible sale, Dr. Gaber said, "I guess I don't know if it's on the table or off the table. At this point, we are looking at all options."
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