UHC Celebrates 30-Year Partnership With Academic Medical Centers

UHC celebrates 30 years of collaborating with leading academic medical centers nationwide to achieve and maintain world-class health care delivery. As a direct result of performance improvement initiatives and a commitment to following best practices as UHC members, academic medical centers have saved the lives of countless patients. UHC has become a nationally recognized leader in helping health care organizations achieve excellence in patient safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness in health care.

"I commend UHC for 3 decades of service that have transformed the culture of hospitals and health care," said Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago. "It not only demonstrates a long-standing commitment to safety, research, and public policy advocacy but also fortifies Chicago's reputation as a true medical hub. UHC is an innovative leader in the field and remains committed to producing far-reaching solutions, and I am proud to stand with UHC in commemorating this extraordinary milestone."

UHC was founded in 1984 with 27 member organizations and now collaborates with 120 academic medical centers and nearly 300 of their affiliated health care organizations. UHC works closely with these members to improve the safety and quality of patient care. With help from UHC's renowned offerings in performance improvement, product innovation, supply chain management, and strategic research, members are implementing new technologies to manage illness and incorporating new strategies to deliver patient care more effectively.

"UHC members have been triumphant in the face of unprecedented changes in health care, and this milestone year is a celebration of 3 decades of partnering with health care leaders on this journey," said Irene M. Thompson, UHC president and chief executive officer. "Despite the changing health care environment, academic medical centers remain vigilant in offering leading care, innovative technology, and cutting-edge treatments to achieve optimal patient outcomes. It is a real testament to the emphasis placed on high-quality patient care at these institutions. UHC will continue to transform along with members and deliver solutions that help them revolutionize health care. Thirty years is just the beginning."

Over the last 30 years, UHC has offered powerful comparative databases and leading research to members and has collaborated with them on nationwide performance improvement initiatives, including serving as a Hospital Engagement Network in the Partnership for Patients initiative under the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. On the patient safety front, UHC formed a global partnership with Datix to launch UHC Safety Intelligence®, Powered by Datix®, a modular software application that helps health care organizations improve safety, quality, patient satisfaction, and risk management. UHC has also collaborated with prominent heath care associations, such as working with the Association of American Medical Colleges on the Best Practices for Better Care initiative to promote and improve quality and safety at teaching hospitals and partnering with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to develop the acclaimed UHC/AACN Nurse Residency Program™. In addition, UHC helps hospitals deliver cost-efficient care through its supply contracting company, Novation.

"UHC has given patients peace of mind by enforcing industry model standards of quality and safety," said Pat Quinn, governor of Illinois. "To celebrate an anniversary such as this is a significant milestone for any organization. I have no doubt UHC will continue to provide the same level of excellence that has been offered for many more years to come." In honor of UHC's 30th anniversary, 8 chief executive officers of academic medical centers shared their perspectives on the power of collaboration between their organizations and UHC. The new video can be accessed on UHC’s Web site at uhc.edu/UHC30Anniversary.htm, which also features highlights from UHC's history. "UHC has all of the information that's necessary to help us adapt to a new environment," said Douglas L. Strong, chief executive officer of University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers. "What UHC has can lead us toward that different future."