University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288)
601 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60607-7113, (312) 996-3456, www.uic.edu/depts/paff

February 28, 2000

Contacts: Mark Rosati, UIC, (312) 996-5546, rosati@uic.edu John Pontarelli, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's, (312) 942-5949 Rendy Jones, Cook County, (312) 633-7405

STATEMENT FROM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS/
RUSH-PRESBYTERIAN-ST. LUKE'S MEDICAL CENTER/
COOK COUNTY BUREAU OF HEALTH SERVICES

The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, and the Cook County Bureau of Health Services announced today that they will explore seven specific areas for possible collaboration in services and substantive sharing of resources. The announcement follows several months of high-level discussions among the three West Side healthcare institutions about the potential for collaboration in medical education, training, and clinical services. There is no discussion at this time about merging the medical schools.

Developing partnerships is a highly complex and long-term endeavor, and the institutions have concluded that it is best to proceed incrementally in the seven areas identified. The institutions expect other areas of potential collaboration to be identified and studied in the future.

Work groups consisting of faculty and staff will be established to explore the potential for collaboration in clinical pathology; anatomical pathology; rehabilitation medicine; libraries; animal facilities; graduate medical education; and pediatric surgical specialties. The groups will be asked to report within eight weeks on the structure and potential benefits and costs of collaboration in these areas.

"We are on the right track and believe that there are many opportunities ahead to work together in ways that benefit our patients while achieving important efficiencies in health resource allocations," the institutions said in a joint statement.

- UIC -