Wright State University and Premier Health Align Partnership Operations

Premier Health and Wright State University are closely aligning their operations under a new long-term affiliation agreement that enhances the Dayton region’s access to state-of-the-art medical care.

The new agreement highlights the institutions’ shared commitment to excellence in education, workforce and economic development, research, clinical program development, and community health.

The partnership is transformational and prioritizes producing more clinicians, nurses and other health care providers. This will spur new research opportunities and provide patients with better access to vital medical care closer to home.

The agreement formally establishes a primary academic affiliation between Wright State and Premier Health and includes all of Wright State’s colleges and academic programs and all of Premier Health’s sites of care. The partnership will present new opportunities for federal funding to support clinical activities, teaching, and research.

This more integrated operating model will position Premier Health and Wright State to develop a comprehensive, collaborative approach to meet the needs of the community for years to come.

In late April, the Wright State University and Premier Health Boards of Trustees approved the new affiliation agreement, which replaces the current agreement between the two organizations.

Highlights of the 30-year agreement include:

Innovations and new initiatives in health care education: Investments from Premier Health — totaling $10 million in year one and $15 million in year two — will be invested to support an increase in the class size at the Boonshoft School of Medicine, as well as training and programs to grow the nursing workforce.

Shared board representation: Wright State University and Premier Health will each appoint one member of its board leadership to serve as a non-voting representative on the other’s governing board.

Collaborative operations: A new Joint Operating Committee will serve as the vehicle for developing and executing strategic partnership initiatives.

In December, Wright State and Premier Health announced the creation of a new integrated leadership position that will serve as the dean of the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the chief academic officer of Premier Health. The organizations have hired Russell Reynolds Associates to lead a national search for this new position. The agreement is also a catalyst for the 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.

Premier Health and Wright State University already collaborated in many ways through the Boonshoft School of Medicine and Wright State’s nursing and health sciences programs. 

Back to the May 2024 issue of Premier Pulse