Health Care Providers Will Work Together to Offer Innovative, High Quality Health Care and Collaborate to Advance Medical Science and Education

New York (May 3, 2011) - The North Shore-LIJ Health System and Montefiore Medical Center, the university hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine and integrated health system, today announced they have formed a groundbreaking strategic alliance to build on their success in providing the most innovative, high-quality and cost-effective healthcare services to communities they serve in the New York City metropolitan area.  While both healthcare providers remain independent from each other, they will collaborate to share best practices aimed at enhancing quality and access to clinical services, as well as advance medical science, education and operational efficiencies.

"I have always had the utmost respect and admiration for Montefiore Medical Center, in appreciation of its forward-thinking approach to healthcare delivery," said Michael J. Dowling, President and CEO of North Shore-LIJ.  "Given the challenges facing the healthcare industry during this era of shrinking government reimbursements, this unique partnership enables us to share best practices and work cooperatively to strengthen quality and patient safety, improve cost efficiency, and develop community outreach programs focused on chronic illness and public health problems like obesity."

"Our strategic alliance with North Shore-LIJ builds on a history of mutual respect and positions us to benefit from each other's strength," said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and CEO of Montefiore.  "North Shore-LIJ's long tradition of organizational development and education, and its infrastructure to support clinical training such as the cutting-edge simulation center will enable us to advance the field of patient safety.  Montefiore brings to the alliance ten years of pioneering and successful work in care management which has been enabled by our robust information technology infrastructure.  Our centers of excellence in pediatrics and transplantation will be the cornerstone of a model to manage and refer patients in need of advanced specialty care.  This alliance will forge new ground in healthcare delivery." 

The strategic alliance will not only promote advances in quality and safety, but develop advanced models of care coordination and care management programs, and launch streamlined alliances in pediatrics and transplantation. It will also enable Montefiore and North Shore-LIJ to share innovative information technology programs, create best practices in medical education and organizational development and launch public health strategies to improve the health of the population.