CLEVELAND, Dec. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- University Hospitals (UH) has received final approval from state and federal government regulators this week for the integration of Parma Community General Hospital and EMH Healthcare into the UH health system.

Each hospital conducted a thorough and rigorous process to evaluate the benefits of joining the UH system to better serve their respective communities and arrived at unanimous decisions for integration.

The organizations announced separately last summer that they were exploring partnerships with UH and anticipated closure by end of 2013. 

"Their approval, after a close examination of our strengths, affirms our shared conviction that our patients, and all of Northeast Ohio, will be better served through this unification, and by our vision for providing the highest-quality care in the most patient-focused, coordinated and cost-efficient ways," said Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO of University Hospitals. "Together, we have new and exciting opportunities to provide better health care. Our plans to invest in Parma Community General Hospital and EMH Healthcare will allow both organizations to continue to provide superior care to their communities and we are eager to reward their trust as we advance our mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover."

As part of the integration into the UH system, the two hospitals will undergo name changes to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center (UH Elyria) and University Hospitals Parma Medical Center (UH Parma).

UH will work closely with their boards of directors, the physician community, leadership, employees and volunteers to bring investments and cost efficiencies that will benefit the communities that we serve including upgrades to facilities, equipment, services and technologies at both entities.

UH, with its nationally recognized academic medical center – UH Case Medical Center – will also provide strong clinical research, leading-edge technology, innovative practices and initiatives that will complement and grow the two hospitals' highly regarded medical programs. Additional commitments will bring programs from internationally recognized centers of excellence such as UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and UH Seidman Cancer Center to UH Elyria making it their flagship hospital based in Lorain County and continued expansion of their presence at UH Parma.

"Meeting our community's health care needs has been an unwavering commitment of University Hospitals since our founding in 1866," said Mr. Zenty. "Joining with these hospitals will provide western Cuyahoga and Lorain counties the best opportunity to strengthen and improve the health of their communities for years to come. We look forward to connecting with their medical staffs in supporting the communities' focus on prevention and wellness, and to provide the highest quality medical care for patients."

UH Parma employs 2,000 Northeast Ohio residents and has more than 500 physicians on its medical staff in more than 30 specialties and a comprehensive campus of services. Its care extends far beyond its six founding cities of Parma, Parma Heights, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Seven Hills and North Royalton. UH Parma, founded in 1961, has 332-beds. 

UH Elyria employs 2,100 Northwest Ohio residents and has campuses in Elyria, Amherst, Avon, Sheffield and North Ridgeville. Founded in 1908, EMH today is a 387-licensed bed hospital system

UH now employs 25,000 Ohio residents and its health system includes 14 hospitals, including our relationship with Southwest General and St. John Medical Center, and 25 outpatient health centers located throughout the region. All three organizations have won numerous recognitions for quality in patient care, safety and innovative practice.

About University HospitalsUniversity Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the world, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopaedics and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. University Hospitals Case Medical Center ranks among the top hospitals on U.S. News & World Report's prestigious honor roll and is the 2012 recipient of the American Hospital Association – McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for its leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety. For more information, go to UHhospitals.org.

SOURCE University Hospitals

RELATED LINKShttp://www.UHhospitals.org