Officials at University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore and Union Hospital in Elkton, Md., have ratified a management services agreement.
Under the 24-month deal, UMMS will provide all operational and managerial services at the 122-bed Union Hospital. This includes recruiting physicians, enhancing the hospital's oncology research program, designing quality improvement measures and handling the hospital's supply chain expenses. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Union Hospital will retain full control over its financial and physical assets, and its board of directors will still be responsible for governance. UMMS and Union Hospital can opt to renew the management contract at the end of the two-year term.
Kenneth Lewis, MD, JD, president and CEO of Union Hospital, said in a statement that hospitals like his must take "a more collaborative approach to improving local access to high-quality, cost-effective care" and that the deal with UMMS accomplishes that goal.
The deal marks another step in the growth of UMMS. In December, UMMS finalized its merger with Upper Chesapeake Health, a two-hospital system based in Bel Air, Md.
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