CLEVELAND, Jan. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- University Hospitals (UH) and Robinson Health System, Inc., which operates Robinson Memorial Hospital, have signed a letter of intent to fully integrate Robinson Memorial with the University Hospitals health system, officials announced today.  

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"We completed a very comprehensive process to evaluate potential organizations that could best support our mission to provide high-quality, patient-centered health care to our patients and the communities that we serve," said Stephen Colecchi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Robinson Memorial. "It is our belief that the mission of University Hospitals is very compatible with the mission of Robinson. University Hospitals also has an outstanding record of employee and medical staff engagement which is very important to Robinson. We strongly believe that becoming part of UH will be a dynamic and important change for Robinson and is in the best interests of our patients, the Portage County community, our employees and medical staff."

University Hospitals will work closely with the Robinson Memorial medical staff to ensure that their patients continue to receive the highest quality medical care. It is anticipated that UH will bring investments and new services as a major benefit to the new agreement. 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 Robinson Memorial's highly regarded medical programs.

"We expect the in-depth analysis we are now undertaking will confirm that together we will best serve the residents of Portage County and all of Northeast Ohio," said Thomas F. Zenty III, UH's Chief Executive Officer. "Robinson Memorial Hospital is a vital anchor institution in the communities that they serve and we are honored to have this opportunity to join with their leadership and medical staff in advancing innovation, superior quality health care and patient-centered care close to home." 

Robinson Memorial, located in Ravenna, Ohio, is a 117-staffed-bed hospital serving the residents of Portage County and beyond. The second-largest employer in the county, Robinson Memorial Hospital includes an urgent care facility; comprehensive imaging facilities; a network of physician practices; and outpatient centers and medical facilities throughout Portage County.

Robinson Memorial's medical staff consists of nearly 400 physicians representing over 40 medical specialties. Robinson Memorial Hospital is recognized as one of the best places to work in Northeast Ohio by the Employers Resource Council and has been redesignated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

UH now employs 25,000 Ohio residents and is the second largest employer in Northeast Ohio. Following last month's integration with Parma Community General Hospital (now called UH Parma Medical Center) and EMH Healthcare (UH Elyria Medical Center), the health system has 14 hospitals, including its relationship with Southwest General and St. John Medical Center, and 26 outpatient health centers located throughout the region.

UH Case Medical Center is one of only 18 hospitals in the country to have been named to U.S. News & World Report's most exclusive rankings list: the Best Hospitals 2013-14 Honor Roll. Internationally recognized UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital consistently ranks among the best children's hospitals in the nation.   

The evaluation process is expected to last several months and hospital leadership anticipates reaching a final agreement May 31, 2014, with an effective date subject to regulatory approval.

About Robinson Memorial Hospital

Located in Ravenna, Robinson Memorial Hospital is a 117-staffed-bed progressive hospital serving the residents of Portage County and surrounding communities. The second-largest employer in the county, Robinson Memorial Hospital includes an urgent care facility; comprehensive imaging facilities; a network of physician practices; and health centers and medical facilities throughout Portage County. Robinson Memorial's medical staff consists of nearly 400 physicians representing over 40 medical specialties. Robinson Memorial Hospital is recognized as one of the best places to work in Northeast Ohio by the Employers Resource Council and has been designated a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet recognizes quality patient care and nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive. For more information, visit robinsonmemorial.org.

About University Hospitals

University Hospitals, the second largest employer in Northeast Ohio, serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians in 16 counties. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center, one of only 18 hospitals in the country to have been named to U.S. News & World Report's most exclusive rankings list: the Best Hospitals 2013-14 Honor Roll. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, UH 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. UH Case Medical Center 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

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