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A Dayton hospital system will invest million of dollars into a local university, as part of a transformative new partnership. Premier Health will invest $25 million in Wright State University over the next two years to help grow and assist the overall Miami Valley health care scene.
Premier — among the largest companies in the region — will spent $10 million in the first year of this new deal and then $15 million the following year. These will be invested to support an increase in the class size at Wright State’s Boonshoft School of Medicine, as well as training and programs to grow the nursing workforce.
Related: How the Premier, WSU partnership will impact the region
This initiative comes as part of a new long-term affiliation agreement between both organizations. The partnership prioritizes producing more clinicians, nurses and other health care providers; spurring new research opportunities; and providing patients access to medical care closer to home.
The agreement also will be a catalyst for recognition of Miami Valley Hospital as an academic medical center, and for growth in clinical training programs at other Premier Health hospitals such as Atrium Medical Center in Middletown and Upper Valley Medical Center in Miami County.
“This new affiliation agreement is a game changer for the Dayton region,” said Sue Edwards, president of Wright State University. “It not only continues and improves the delivery of excellent medical care to residents of the region by expanding the accessibility of a wider array of medical care closer to home, but it also offers increased training and learning opportunities for our nursing, public health and medical students and medical school residents.”
Here are the components of the agreement:
- Creating a new integrated role that will serve as both the dean of Wright State’s Boonshoft School of Medicine and chief academic officer for Premier Health. The position will be jointly recruited at a national level.
- Elevating Miami Valley Hospital to be formally recognized as an academic medical center that seamlessly integrates education, research, and clinical care to benefit the region.
- Leveraging existing resources, including Wright State’s College of Health, Education and Human Services, to improve care for patients and communities in need and to ensure patients and communities have access to a comprehensive array of medical services closer to home.
- Expanding clinical training programs at Miami Valley Hospital and pursuing strategies to establish such programs at Atrium Medical Center and Upper Valley Medical Center to support clinical workforce development in medicine and allied health.
- Growing and enhancing clinical faculty while leveraging existing physician practice organizations in a way that benefits clinical, research and academic outcomes – all with an eye toward improving community health in Southwest Ohio.
- In addition, the resolution directs Wright State University’s president and Premier Health’s president and chief executive officer to prepare a business plan defining and outlining the two organizations’ future operating relationship by April 30.
“The level of trust, excitement and depth in the relationship between senior leaders of both institutions has been striking to me,” said Michael Riordan, president and CEO of Premier Health. “From the beginning, we’ve recognized that this affiliation can be transformative for both institutions. There’s just tremendous potential here to bolster our workforce and the future of health care in the region.”
Premier Health and Wright State University already collaborate in many ways through the Boonshoft School of Medicine and Wright State’s nursing and health sciences programs.
Wright State has 11,000 students and a staff of almost 2,000. The university offers a variety of programs from undergrad to graduate, including an MBA program.
Premier Health is one of the region's top companies, posting $2.1 billion in 2022 revenue. The healthcare system — which has nearly 12,000 employees — runs some of the Dayton region's largest hospitals.
Total enrollment
| Rank | Prior Rank | Institution |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Sinclair Community College |
2 | 2 | Miami University |
3 | 3 | University of Dayton |