HOLLAND, Mich., Dec. 7, 2023 — Holland Hospital and University of Michigan Health (U-M Health) today announced a strategic alliance that will benefit health care patients across west Michigan by allowing both organizations to identify and pursue opportunities that support high-quality clinical services locally.

The alliance was approved by the U-M Board of Regents at its regular meeting today. The Holland Hospital Board of Directors approved the agreement at its meeting on Nov. 14. The strategic alliance takes effect immediately and is a three-year agreement. This is not a merger or acquisition, and the alliance does not change Holland Hospital ownership, governance or organizational integration.

According to Patti VanDort, president of Holland Hospital, one key goal of this alliance aims to provide clinical specialties to Lakeshore residents that Holland Hospital alone is not able to offer and reduce 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 explained.

“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.”

“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,” said Marschall Runge, M.D., CEO of Michigan Medicine, which includes the U-M health system and medical school.

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

The joint initiative brings the expertise of both organizations together, offering patients access to specialists at U-M Health in Ann Arbor and UM Health-West in Wyoming, Mich., in addition to the care offered by providers at Holland Hospital. The alliance focuses on providing care locally. In cases where highly specialized sub-specialty care is clinically indicated, 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.

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.

According to Miller, 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.”

More information about U-M Health’s statewide network of care is available at https://www.uofmhealth.org/about/u-m-health-statewide-network-care.

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About Holland Hospital
Holland Hospital, located in Holland, MI, is a nationally recognized leader in quality and value with advanced technology and extraordinary patient satisfaction. The independent hospital offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, multiple convenient locations and ready access to primary care physicians and experienced specialists. The hospital is also among just 14% of hospitals in the nation to earn the top CMS 5-Star rating and one of the few to consistently achieve the top rating since it was introduced in 2008. Holland Hospital’s workplace culture has made it one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in West Michigan. For over a century, the hospital’s mission has been to continually improve the health of the communities we serve in the spirit of hope, compassion, respect and dignity. For more information, visit hollandhospital.org 
 

About Michigan Medicine and University of Michigan Health
At Michigan Medicine, we advance health to serve Michigan and the world. We pursue excellence every day in our 11 hospitals and hundreds of clinics statewide, as well as educate the next generation of physicians, health professionals and scientists in our U-M Medical School.

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.

More information is available at michiganmedicine.org