The competition to bring a world class children’s hospital to San Antonio took another dramatic turn today as the UT Health Science Center and Methodist Health Care announced they had signed an Memorandum of Understanding.
The UTHSC and the Methodist Children’s hospital make a natural fit -- since they are already right across from each other on Medical Drive in the city’s Medical Center.
Dr. Bill Henrich, president of the Health Science Center, said the medical match up goes beyond to two institution’s proximity.
"Methodist Health Care System and the Health Science Center have laid out certain priorities in joining forces to deliver the best pediatric care -- medical education and academic research programs here in San Antonio and beyond San Antonio," Henrich said.
The memorandum is only the beginning of the negotiations as both organizations will use the next 90 days to work out the details of an agreement to form a comprehensive children’s health care delivery system. Because of the delicate nature of the negotiations, questions were not allowed at the press briefing.
"The combination of both of our organizations that have been pediatric leaders in our respected fields for many years will create a new delivery model that will be comparable to the most well-known and respected children’s hospitals in the United States," said Jaime A. Wesolowski, president of Methodist Healthcare System.
UTHSC has been in pursuit of a Children’s hospital partner and was set to team up with Vanguard Health Systems, owner of San Antonio's Baptist Health System, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, but that deal collapsed.
Prior to that, UTHSC was looking to work with CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System and those discussions were eventually halted.
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa is now planning a $135 million expansion of its downtown children’s hospital after teaming up with the Baylor College of Medicine.
