Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

News

UH, Methodist forge partnership

Agreement will expand health research, may help in 'Tier I' quest

By Tina Marie Macias
Senior Staff Writer

The UH System and The Methodist Hospital signed a 30-year agreement Tuesday to expand their biomedical research and develop health capabilities and education programs, putting UH a step closer to becoming a "Tier I" research institution.

"Done correctly, this probably will catapult us into Tier I status as a research university quicker than anything we can do," UH President and UH System Chancellor Jay Gouge said at the announcement at UH's Houston Science Center. "Through our work and through our collaboration, we can do a better job of caring for patients and caring for people in greater Houston and beyond."

UHS and Methodist plan to establish a research and education center and have agreed to share facilities at both institutions for research, training and the education of health professionals, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, interns and residents.

"We are going to begin to sponsor residencies through the various services that we have," said Ron G. Girotto, president and CEO of The Methodist Hospital System. "And to get the type of resident that we're interested in, it's very important that they have a research component."

Although it is one of the largest hospitals in the nation, Girotto said Methodist does not have the basic science and physics comports in its facilities, and UH will benefit the hospital with that.

"We're bringing the physician scientists and accompanying those with the more non-physician scientists and making science get to the transitional research, and that's what our commitment is," Girotto said.

UHS already has some involvement with the Texas Medical Center, including the Discover U program -- continuing education for TMC employees at the Medical Center -- and a blood-flow research partnership between mechanical engineering professor Ralph W. Metcalfe and Methodist Hospital neuroradiologist Dr. Charles Strother.

The formal affiliation may allow the UH System to receive more research funding from the state.

"(UHS) does a lot of work with the Texas Medical Center, but ... metropolitan Houston is not aware of that. And for you to make the broader community more aware of just things you're doing, it's important that you find a major partner in the Texas Medical Center," Gouge said. "We truly believe that the research relationship with the clinicians is where the future of medicine is going to be. That's where the breakthroughs will occur and it offers us great opportunities."

Methodist has committed $100 million for a 60,000-square-foot research institute with an additional $30 million to fund an affiliated neurological institute. The institute will host research programs on cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, cancer, transplant, cell and gene therapy and orthopedics.

Methodist's other partners are Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University and New York Presbyterian Hospital.
 

 Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu