MetroHealth in Cleveland has launched a search to find a pediatric partner, as its current contracts with two local providers are set to end in June 2019.
The system issued a Competitive Sealed Proposal for pediatric services, looking to collaborate on both pediatric inpatient and outpatient services, including general and subspecialty care. Proposals are encouraged to provide options for an affiliation or collaboration, which would launch July 1, 2019.
"Collaboration with another health system would ensure optimal resources are available for our patients, resulting in the best care possible delivered efficiently, with better outcomes," said Dr. Bernie Boulanger, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of MetroHealth.
Since the Competitive Sealed Proposal opened Monday, Dec. 17, the system has gotten interest from children's hospitals both within and outside of Northeast Ohio, Boulanger said.
The system currently partners with Akron Children's and the Cleveland Clinic for pediatric services, but those five-year contracts end in June, according to a news release. Both current partners are welcome to apply, according to MetroHealth.
Cleveland Clinic Children's provides specialty care to MetroHealth's patients in pediatric gastroenterology, genetics, hematology, oncology, radiology and urology; and Akron Children's physicians offer specialty care for MetroHealth in pediatric cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, nephrology and critical care, according to the release. Services from both are offered at MetroHealth.
According to the proposal, the system is looking for a collaboration that "would seek to provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient primary, secondary and tertiary pediatric general and subspecialty care for our patients at MetroHealth facilities."
"MetroHealth searching for pediatric partner" was originally published in Crain's Cleveland Business.