Thursday, March 5, 1998
UCLA forges alliance with Orthopaedic Hospital
ALLIANCE: Better service for community prompts two forces in
medicine to pool resources
By Kathryn Combs
Daily Bruin Staff
Two of the most prestigious medical institutions in Los Angeles
– the Orthopaedic Hospital of Los Angeles and UCLA – signed a
letter of intent on Monday, marking the beginning of a long term
clinical relationship.
While the two institutions will begin immediately to work out a
solid agreement, this alliance will bring many benefits to each
party, said Gerald Levey, provost of the UCLA School of
Medicine.
"It’s a wonderful thing for UCLA," Levey said. "(The alliance)
will bring together two nationally and internationally recognized
clinical orthopaedic operations."
"This will immeasurably strengthen our clinical presence in
orthopaedics and it will (also) aid the educational process both
for students and post-graduate trainees," Levey added.
This alliance will not only enhance the clinical and research
activities, but UCLA and the Orthopaedic Hospital will also benefit
economically.
"With the advent of managed care and pressures on hospitals, it
is difficult for a hospital with a single specialty to survive,"
said Dr. Gerald Finerman, chair of the UCLA department of
orthopedics.
While the letter of intent is not a finalized agreement, it
indicates both parties are serious about developing a working
relationship, said David Langness, director of UCLA Health Science
Communications.
The alliance has already been approved by the Orthopaedic
Hospital’s governing board and is expected to be approved by the
regents in May.
However, during negotiations the two institutions came to some
initial agreement as to what they were seeking in entering such an
alliance.
According to Langness, the alliance is a chance for both
institutions to expand their services and abilities.
"Today you need to have a extensive network of physicians,
clinics, outreach sites, modalities and patients to run an
effective health care network," he said.
While each of the institutions will continue to pursue their
primary missions, UCLA will be able to do expand their services
geographically into the downtown area, allowing them to provide
clinical services to underserved populations.
This will further expand UCLA’s commitment to community-based
health care. Currently, UCLA supports 43 community clinics.
Not only will UCLA be able to extend its clinical services to
the downtown area but the Orthopaedic hospital will relocate its
inpatient services to the Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center by
2003.
"Through this alliance we will save about $5 million in
operating expenses," said Dr. James V. Luck, president and director
of the Orthopaedic Hospital.
"By combining our inpatient activities, we will save an enormous
amount of money that we can then apply to children’s programs,
education and research," Luck said.
According to Luck, priorities of the Orthopaedic Hospital
include public service to underserved populations, specifically
children, education and research.
Within this alliance, both UCLA and the Orthopaedic hospital
will remain independent financially but will work together to serve
the needs of their patient population.
Finerman said that one of the reasons behind the alliance is to
develop a better program.
"With these types of resources our goal is to become the best
program in the U.S.," he said.
The alliance will also allow the two institutions to combine
their research facilities.
While at UCLA, research in orthopedics focuses more on the
molecular level and research at the hospital focuses on the
structural engineering aspects of bone.
"By combining our research efforts in musculoskeletal disorders
… it greatly enhances both of our capacity to deal with these
problems (and) our educational programs will be greatly enhanced,"
Luck said.
With final plans in the works, officials are hoping for the
best.
"We were looking for a partnership with an institution that had
a compatible mission and was truly a win-win for both sides," Luck
said.
"We believe that when this alliance is fully implemented in the
early part of the next century, we will have the finest research
operations in the world in orthopedics," Levey said.