New U-M Health partnership expands patient care across West Michigan

Holland Hospital and University of Michigan Health have joined in an alliance that will provide the Holland community with increased local access to specialists.

According to Patti VanDort, president of Holland Hospital, a key goal is to provide clinical specialties to Lakeshore residents that Holland Hospital alone is not able to offer, reducing the need for patients to travel to receive the specialty care they need. 

“The partnership will improve local access to care and give patients greater choice and value,” VanDort says. “Holland Hospital has enjoyed a collaborative and positive relationship with University of Michigan Health over the years, and we are enthusiastic for the opportunity to deepen our alliance to continue serving the evolving needs of our patients and the communities we serve.”

The three-year agreement was approved by the U-M Board of Regents on Dec. 7 and by the Holland Hospital Board of Directors on Nov. 14. and took effect immediately. It is not a merger or acquisition, and the alliance does not change Holland Hospital ownership, governance or organizational integration.

Bringing more care close to home

The partnership will bring specialized care closer to Holland Hospital patients, says Dr. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine, which includes the U-M health system and medical school.

“At the University of Michigan Health, we are working to make sure residents of Michigan have access to the right care close to home. Holland Hospital is a high-performing organization that we know will be a strong partner in our efforts,” Runge says.

Holland Hospital is among 14% of hospitals in the nation to earn the top 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and one of the few to consistently achieve the top rating since it was introduced in 2008. 

Dr. David Miller, president of U-M Health, adds that the collaboration will provide the Holland community with local access to U-M Health specialists that Holland Hospital couldn’t otherwise offer.

“We have already partnered with Holland Hospital on treatment services such as neuroscience. We know this collaboration will bring more choice and local access that will improve patients’ experience,” Miller says. 

The initiative gives patients access to specialists at U-M Health in Ann Arbor and U-M Health West in Wyoming, in addition to the care offered by providers at Holland Hospital. 

A focus on joint initiatives

The alliance focuses on providing care locally. When highly specialized sub-specialty care is needed, patients may be referred to Ann Arbor, but pre-and post-care will be done locally.

Among the initiatives being considered is a clinical partnership in support of a newly constructed ambulatory site in West Michigan.

Michigan Medicine includes U-M Medical School and University of Michigan Health, which includes the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, University Hospital, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Health-West, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, and the Rogel Cancer Center. 

The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research awards of more than $777 million.

VanDort said that the decision to partner was based on shared cultures and values, and the organizations look forward to working together on a mutual commitment to enhance care locally through joint initiatives and clinical programs that will best serve patients.

Miller says U-M Health is committed to ensuring Michiganders have access to the right care in the right place:

“That means keeping care close to home as much as possible by collaborating with hospitals around the state to expand local access to specialty care. Holland Hospital’s excellence in quality, value and patient experience, as well as its commitment to keeping care local, make this an ideal partnership to enhance health care services for the Lakeshore region,” Miller says.