Pittsburgh-based UPMC signed a definitive agreement with Cumberland-based Western Maryland Health System Feb. 8 to form a clinical affiliation.
The WMHS board of directors initially approved the agreement Jan. 18, after pursuing negotiations with UPMC for about a year.
Officials said one of the first goals of the affiliation is to provide patients with greater access to specialists and subspecialists to complement WMHS' existing clinical programs.
The organizations also plan to develop additional collaborative agreements for telemedicine, oncology and behavioral health, among other potential areas for affiliation.