June 12, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Ohio Valley Health Services and Education Corp. are creating an affiliation that will improve the availability, quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services, research and medical education in the Ohio Valley region. Ohio Valley Health Services & Education Corp. (OVHS&E) is the parent company of Ohio Valley Medical Center (OVMC) in Wheeling, W.Va., and East Ohio Regional Hospital (EORH) in Martins Ferry, Ohio.
“We’re excited that this affiliation will expand access to specialized medical care for many more people in our region,” said Dr. Steven G. Gabbe, senior vice president of Health Sciences and CEO of Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. “We also see many opportunities to increase medical education and clinical research in the area, and to help OVMC/EORH create innovative health solutions for the community.”
Under the affiliation agreement, the two health systems will remain independent but work together to develop close-to-home care options for residents who would normally travel to Ohio State for highly-specialized treatments. Collaborations in areas such as cancer, heart and vascular care, neurosurgery, telemedicine, urology, diabetes management and community wellness/prevention programs are being discussed.
The two systems will also explore other opportunities, such as adding OVMC and EORH as clinical rotation sites for some of Ohio State’s College of Medicine students, and expanding patient access to clinical trials.
“We’re proud to bring advanced, specialized care from a nationally ranked academic medical center to our patients and to serve a critical need in the Ohio Valley,” said Michael J. Caruso, president and CEO of OVHS&E. “Additionally, by working with Ohio State, we’ll achieve greater efficiencies, lower costs and build a stronger community hospital system through shared electronic health records, group purchasing programs and other shared services.”
Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center and OVMC/EORH will form an affiliation advisory council that will set the overall strategic goals, facilitate the plans and identify opportunities for both hospital systems.
“We’re very pleased with this agreement and we look forward to implementing many of the ideas we’ve discussed with Ohio State,” said Jerry Narcisi, chairman of the OVHS&E Board of Directors.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is one of the largest and most diverse academic medical centers in the country, and the only academic medical center in central Ohio. The only central Ohio hospital listed in “America’s Best Hospitals” ranking by U.S. News & World Report, Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center includes: a top-30 College of Medicine; five hospitals; a unified physician practice; an extensive network of primary and specialty care practices; more than a dozen research centers and institutes; and 20 core laboratories.
Ohio Valley Medical Center and East Ohio Regional Hospital are a 340-bed combined organization with more than 1,600 employees providing the area’s only comprehensive orthopedic centers of excellence, behavioral and mental health services, and board certified emergency services on both sides of the Ohio River.
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Media Contact: Marti Leitch, Senior Manager, Media Relations, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 614-293-3737 or Marti.Leitch@osumc.edu
Media Contact: Laurie Labishak, Vice President of Marketing, Ohio Valley Health Services & Education, 304-234-8233 or llabishak@ovrh.org