The Boards of University Hospitals Health System and Case Western Reserve University today approved a new 50-year partnership to establish a unique and primary partnership between CWRU School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC).

The goal of the partnership is to promote innovative biomedical education, research and clinical care as the nucleus around which to bring together available resources to develop one of the top academic medical centers in the world. The agreement, which is effective immediately, will significantly strengthen the historical relationship between the entities by developing a joint strategic plan for all research initiatives.

"This partnership truly represents a shared vision—the existence of a great academic medical center is dependent upon the success of both University Hospitals and the School of Medicine," said Henry L. Meyer III, Chairman of the Boards of Directors of UHC and University Hospitals Health System (UHHS). "We will build on each other's strengths and work as one to attract some of the best and brightest minds to Cleveland."

"The School of Medicine cannot be a truly great medical school if not partnered with UHC as a great teaching and research hospital," said Charles P. Bolton, Chair of the CWRU Board of Trustees. "And University Hospitals cannot be a truly great teaching hospital if not partnered with a great School of Medicine."

Principal features of the agreement include:

• A joint research enterprise to be called Case Research Institute (CRI), which will bring together the strategic planning, operational aspects and financial support for all research initiatives of the clinical departments of UHC. The CRI Director will be the Dean of the School of Medicine; CRI's Board will be composed of equal representation from UHC and CWRU, along with two outside directors from leading research enterprises.
• Joint strategic and operational planning to maximize the impact of research support by reducing administrative costs and focusing a larger share of resources on the research itself.
• The partners will jointly own and operate the new research building currently under construction on Cornell Road (scheduled for completion in 2003), which temporarily will be named the "UHHS-CWRU Partnership Research Building" until a principal benefactor with the same shared vision provides significant philanthropic support.
• Recruitment of about 70 new faculty will be jointly funded and managed, with the aim of enhancing both the clinical and academic missions of the partners.
• The partners will create a national model for education focused on life-long learning and continuous competency at all levels, from medical students to residents, graduates students and postdoctoral fellows, to faculty and practitioners.
• The partners will jointly seek to develop a nationally renowned academic medical center in Cleveland and will jointly seek federal, state and philanthropic investments to achieve the vision.

"This is not simply an affiliation, but a real partnership, with the elements to serve as the nation's strongest model for a relationship between a research university and a teaching hospital," said Fred C. Rothstein, M.D., Acting President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Health System. "Our commitment to each other will attract the brightest minds and the most talented clinicians to our shared campus."

"Our success in reaching this agreement reflects thoughtful and committed efforts on the part of many people, but I must express my special appreciation for the work done by Henry Meyer and Fred Rothstein," said Edward M. Hundert, M.D., President of Case Western Reserve University. "What really made this exciting was that the entire process was one of joint strategic planning toward these shared goals, with input from our faculty. Our goal is nothing less than to create an academic medical center whose teaching, research discoveries, and outreach will help alleviate the burden of human illness worldwide."