Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University in East Lansing signed a 30-year partnership on healthcare, socioeconomic and educational goals, the organizations said Jan. 25.
Henry Ford and MSU struck the long-term agreement seven months after they signed a letter of intent to expand their partnership.
Under the partnership, Henry Ford and MSU will work together on clinical research, cancer care, training, diversity among healthcare professionals and socioeconomic challenges that affect their communities. One of the partnership's goals is to attain a National Cancer Institute designation within five to seven years.
Additionally, MSU will grow its footprint in Detroit with a regional campus that will be located in the Henry Ford Detroit Campus. Other developments include a public health program and a health sciences center, which will act as a joint research institute.
Steven Kalkanis, MD, Henry Ford's system chief academic officer and the CEO of Henry Ford Medical Group, will be the first president of the health sciences center. Norman Beauchamp, MD, MSU's executive vice president of health sciences, will chair a board that will include leaders from both organizations.
The partnership is not an acquisition or merger. Capital projects will be funded by private funds and philanthropy. By mid-2021, Henry Ford and MSU will have some co-branded areas, and its health sciences center will create an umbrella organization for its activities.