Weill-CU and NewYork-Presbyterian ally with large Houston hospital

By Myrna Manners and Felicia Narvaez

Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and The Methodist Hospital in Houston jointly announced, June 23, that they have entered into a historic medical affiliation that will benefit residents of New York and Texas. Under the terms of the 30-year agreement, The Methodist Hospital's primary affiliation will be with Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian. Physicians at The Methodist Hospital can choose to have faculty appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.

At a news conference in Houston announcing a major medical affiliation, June 23, are, from left: John Bookout, chairman of The Methodist Hospital Board of Directors; Ron Girotto, president and CEO of The Methodist Hospital System; Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of Weill Cornell Medical College; and Herbert Pardes, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Kaci Charter/Texas Medical Center

The affiliation will enable the three internationally renowned institutions to collaborate in providing high-quality patient care, cutting-edge clinical and biomedical research, and the most innovative medical education and training of future physicians and biomedical scientists.

"In undertaking this unprecedented collaboration, Weill Cornell Medical College, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and The Methodist Hospital in Houston become a truly transnational academic medical center," said Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman. "Scientists from the university in Ithaca and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York are engaged in a number of collaborative programs at the cutting edge of medicine. We look forward to the opportunity to begin new collaborations with our new Weill Cornell faculty in Houston to the benefit not only of patients in our local communities but, ultimately, throughout the world."

"Today marks an important historic milestone for The Methodist Hospital, with the announcement of this new primary affiliation," said John Bookout, chairman of The Methodist Hospital Board of Directors, following the announcement. "This new affiliation establishes new heights of collaboration and recognizes the strengths of all three partners. This relationship is the first of its kind and furthers our shared missions of excellence in patient care, research and teaching."

With 1,269 beds, The Methodist Hospital is one of the largest general hospitals in the Southwest and one of the country's largest private not-for-profit hospitals. The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, with 2,397 beds, is the largest hospital in the Northeast and is also the anchor of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, the largest not-for-profit, nonsectarian health-care system in the country. Weill Cornell Medical College is among the top-ranked medical education, clinical and research centers in the country, with over $245 million in National Institutes of Health-funded research grants, and has long been committed to promoting scientific collaboration across geographic lines.

"Weill Cornell Medical College is forging a leadership role in the future of medicine for the 21st century, not only in the globalization of medical excellence through the new Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, but now through this historic partnership with the pre-eminent Methodist Hospital in Houston," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell.

"Building a medical and scientific bridge between the North and South, this alliance offers unique opportunities to enhance health care for diverse patient populations and for fostering new initiatives across the spectrum of academic medicine, including clinical trials, international medicine, national health-care policy, outcomes research and graduate medical education," noted Weill.

"Our relationship with Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a leap forward in the way we provide medical care to our patients. Together, we will have the facilities, the resources and the people to rapidly bring our research to the patient's bedside," said Ron Girotto, president and CEO of The Methodist Hospital System. "When three strong institutions work together to be even stronger, it is good for the nation, our community, the Texas Medical Center and our patients."

This new affiliation is expected to accelerate the launch of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, a collection of researchers and physicians devoted to rapidly translating research into treatment for patients. Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian also will assist The Methodist Hospital in establishing an expanded residency program and a new physician organization.

"Advances in medical education, research and clinical care depend on our willingness to discover new ways of doing things that broaden our vision, making us better able to fulfill the vital missions of an academic medical center," said Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of Weill Cornell Medical College and provost for medical affairs. "This partnership offers many exciting opportunities for collaboration that will benefit the patients, students, physicians and researchers of The Methodist Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, as well as our broader national and international communities."

"Our three institutions share the highest commitment to providing the best care for our patients -- as well as the best training for young physicians through our residency programs for graduate medical education," said John Mack, chairman of the board of trustees of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "Patients served by The Methodist Hospital in Houston and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital will receive the benefits of this collaboration in many important areas, including increased opportunities in research and ongoing development of the best clinical practices."

"NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital enthusiastically welcomes this new affiliation with The Methodist Hospital," said Dr. Herbert Pardes, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

"We look forward to exploring the many ways that our partnership can expand our ability to provide the most advanced, as well as the most compassionate, medical care to patients in New York and in Texas," he said.