Detroit – Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University (MSU) announced today the two organizations have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to significantly expand their long-term partnership, a unique primary affiliation among the first of its kind for the region between a fully integrated academic health system and major state university. Committed to redesigning care around patients and communities through education, research and clinical care, the enhanced collaboration will focus on improving access, affordability and outcomes, especially for Detroit and Michigan’s most vulnerable populations.

“Partnerships with the potential for greater impact are more important than ever before,” said Wright Lassiter, III, president and CEO, Henry Ford Health System. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing injustices and recent protests in cities across our nation have amplified the importance of and urgency for innovation and discovery that radically improves the health of all of the communities we serve.”

“Health care is one of the most important building blocks of a strong community, and for that we believe every individual deserves accessible, affordable, compassionate, quality care,” said Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., MSU’s president. “We must seek solutions to address disparities across cultural, racial and socioeconomic lines. This pandemic has demonstrated the willingness of individuals from multiple disciplines and from different organizations to unite – the time to build upon that is now."

The non-binding LOI was signed after months of talks and has several hallmark elements including a primary affiliation for a shared research enterprise, expanded opportunities for health students and long-term plan to build a joint Research Institute in Detroit, MI. Combined research areas will include Health Inequities and Disparities as well as Social Determinants of Health, Primary Care, Implementation Sciences, Precision Health and Cancer.

“As a land-grant institution engaging in the highest level of research, we are defined by working with communities to address areas of greatest need and making a difference through partnerships. This effort will uniquely prepare our students to lead the way in improving health and health care in the future,” said Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., M.D., MSU’s executive vice president for health sciences, overseeing the colleges of Human Medicine, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine, as well as clinical practices. “Aligning the education, clinical and research strengths of Henry Ford, with MSU strengths campus-wide, we will drive discovery, enhance existing partnerships and ultimately bring more to bear in serving the communities of Michigan.”

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