NEWPORT NEWS — Riverside Health System and UVA Health announced a strategic alliance on Tuesday, July 11, to expand patient access to innovative care for complex medical conditions, transplantation and the latest clinical trials.
The aim is to make it easier for residents of eastern Virginia to access innovative care for complex medical conditions, as well as the latest clinical trials, according to Riverside Health. Under the agreement, Riverside and UVA Health will collaborate in multiple areas including clinical program development, research and medical education.
“Together, Riverside Health System and UVA Health will continue to bring an exceptionally high level of health care to Eastern Virginia,” said Dr. Mike Dacey, Riverside Health System’s president and chief executive officer. “We are looking forward to our expanded partnership in clinical services starting with cardiothoracic surgery. Strategic affiliations with Academic Medical Centers have been a part of our strategic plan for the past four years. This affiliation advances the expertise of our respective clinical teams and provides patients with expanded access to the latest technologies and procedures to improve health outcomes and quality of life.”
Riverside said in order to ensure a long-term, mutually beneficial alliance, the agreement provides UVA Health with 5% ownership in Riverside, and in turn, UVA Health has committed to financial and clinical resources to assist in growing local services in Eastern Virginia. Both will retain their existing governance and administrative structures.
The affiliation will enhance care coordination in several care areas, Riverside said, including adult and pediatric transplantation while advancing efforts to educate and train the next generation of clinicians through a common commitment to medical education, research and innovation.
“In UVA Health’s new strategic plan, our mission is to transform health and inspire hope for all Virginians and beyond. Partnerships like our new alliance with Riverside Health System make it easier for Virginians with complex health conditions to receive the care they need close to home,” said Dr. K. Craig Kent, UVA Health’s chief executive officer and executive vice president for health affairs. “We look forward to closely collaborating with Riverside’s exceptional leadership, physicians, and team members on a wide range of clinical care, research and educational initiatives.”
According to Riverside, the new affiliation builds on a longstanding relationship between the two health systems that began in 2005 with the launch of a Newport News-based stereotactic radiosurgery center that uses precisely focused, high-energy beams of radiation to treat brain tumors, pituitary tumors and other conditions.
“UVA’s new strategic partnership with Riverside will enable greater access to outstanding patient care and medical training for communities in Eastern Virginia. We’re delighted to continue our longstanding relationship with Riverside and better serve the citizens of the Commonwealth,” said University of Virginia President James E. Ryan.
