U. Medical Center joins city hospital

As part of its effort to set up a network of community hospitals in the Delaware Valley, the University Medical Center recently signed a formal affiliation agreement with the Germantown Hospital and Medical Center. Germantown, founded in 1863, is a 300-bed teaching hospital located on a 25-acre campus in Northwest Philadelphia. Officials from both hospitals are excited about the agreement. William Kelley, chief executive officer of the Medical Center and dean of the School of Medicine, said in a statement that the Medical Center is "delighted to welcome the Germantown Hospital and Medical Center into the Penn family of comprehensive health care." "Alliances with community hospitals complement our initiatives in primary care, as well as other key strategic ventures," Kelley said. Hugh Maher, president of Germantown, said "Germantown is delighted to be an affiliate of Penn's." "The agreement enhances both Penn's and our research opportunities," he added. The agreement, which makes Germantown a partner in the University Health System, will enhance both hospitals' abilities to provide care to patients, Maher said. Both hospitals will remain independent entities as a result of the agreement. Although the agreement is nonspecific, cooperation has already begun in several areas, according to sources at both hospitals. "For instance, we are working with Penn to improve our [obstetrics] department," Maher said. According to Germantown spokesperson Beth Brisbane, the agreement is a commitment on the part of both organizations to conduct joint ventures in the future. But, Brisbane added, "nothing has been outlined specifically." Spokesperson for the Medical Center Lisa Bain said the agreement identifies clinical and other areas for close, long-term cooperation.