YSU and Mercy Health-Youngstown sign partnership, explore collaborations

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"13546","attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-15770","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"382","height":"82","alt":"mercy_logo"}}]]Mercy Health-Youngstown and Youngstown State University will work together to develop new academic and medical affiliations under an exclusive affinity partnership announced at a news conference today on the YSU campus. The 10-year agreement opens the door for YSU and Mercy Health-Youngstown to collaborate on a variety of initiatives, including a new master’s degree in Athletic Training and a new partnership involving the Health Center on campus. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"13551","attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-15578","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"385","height":"109","alt":"Print"}}]]“Both YSU and Mercy Health have a long history of outreach in the community,” said Don Kline, president and CEO, Mercy Health-Youngstown. “This affinity partnership has far reaching possibilities to benefit the entire Mahoning Valley.” As part of the agreement, Mercy Health-Youngstown and YSU will partner to operate the Mercy Health/YSU Health Center, located in Kilcawley House on campus. The center, which offers services ranging from routine health checks and first aid to immunizations and doctor appointments, will be staffed with Mercy Health physicians. The agreement also creates opportunities for YSU and Mercy Health-Youngstown to collaborate on other projects, including: the creation of the state’s first master’s degree program in Athletic Training at YSU; a new 10-year Mercy Health-Youngstown sponsorship agreement with YSU athletics; and the development of a plan to better connect the YSU campus and Mercy Health’s St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital with the Youngstown Business Incubator, America Makes and the downtown Youngstown business district. “YSU and Mercy Health look forward to combining our intellectual strengths to better serve our students, clients and the community at large,” YSU President Jim Tressel said. “We are excited about the many opportunities created by this new affiliation.” The collaboration between Mercy Health-Youngstown and YSU goes back for many years. “We are proud the long commitment to our community that both Mercy Health- Youngstown and YSU share,” said Matthew A. Love, FACHE, Senior Vice President, Finance and Strategy Mercy Health-Youngstown “We look forward to enhancing access to the students, faculty and staff at YSU as well as supporting our local partners in this venture.”   Youngstown State University is a comprehensive urban research university that offers nearly 13,000 students more than 135 undergraduate and graduate programs backed by a strong tradition of teaching, scholarship and public service. As a major educational and economic development resource in the region, YSU is known for its focus on academic research and creative programs that transform its students into successful professionals, scholars and leaders. YSU’s145-acre campus includes high-tech classrooms, state-of-the-art labs and performance facilities, a variety of on-campus housing options and recreational facilities among the best in the nation. For more information, visit www.ysu.edu. Mercy Health-Youngstown is an integrated health care delivery system comprised of, among other things, award-winning hospitals, primary care and specialty physician practices, long term care facilities, outpatient centers, urgent care, outreach programs and a clinical integrated network. MHY’s clinical integration strategy focuses on positively transforming the continuum of care across the community. Mercy Health is ranked nationally in the top 20 percent of health systems in clinical quality and efficiency.