Note: this editorial was published in the October 12, 2020 edition of the Toledo Blade.
Dr. Gregory Postel’s essay in The Blade on Sept. 27 constitutes a fresh and encouraging view of the academic affiliation agreement between the University of Toledo and ProMedica and its relationship to the future of the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital.
Most importantly, he notes that this relationship does not necessarily need to be a zero-sum game in which UTMC must be degraded to facilitate UT’s cooperative ven-tures with ProMedica. Dr. Postel rightly points out the benefits of the UT-ProMedica relationship include an expanded range of patients and clinical experiences for UT’s medical students. ProMedica also benefits through access to medical resident physicians and the expertise of UT’s medical specialty faculty members. The relationship between UT and ProMedica should continue.
Dr. Postel’s expressed commitment to UT’s home medical institution, UTMC, is much appreciated. He recognizes the value of UTMC to medical and health-care education at UT as well as clinical care and research. He appropriately highlights some of the current strengths of UTMC including its programs in oncology, orthopedics, family medicine, urology, cardiology, and behavioral health.
In addition, Dr. Postel notes the developing relationship between UTMC and Toledo Clinic, which has already borne fruit in the form of an expanded Dana Cancer Center on the UT Health Science Campus.
In my last essay regarding UTMC and ProMedica I asked “Quo Vadis?”, a Latin Phrase meaning “Where are we marching?” or perhaps more generally, “What is the plan?”
Dr. Postel’s commitment to UTMC as a medical home of our own is clear, but what is needed is a comprehensive overarching plan for UTMC’s reinvigoration as a UT-affiliated academic medical center. Such a plan does not require abandoning or downgrading the academic affiliation with ProMedica but does require refocusing on the central role that UTMC plays in the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences educational and research missions as well as the medical care of the residents of northwest Ohio.
I do not profess to know all that such a plan should include. In addition, I am aware that some planning is already taking place under the leadership of Dr. Postel and Mr. Richard Swaine, the CEO of UTMC. However, I would like to take the liberty of making a few suggestions:
● Developing a planning committee or committees that would include relevant stakeholders including administrators, faculty members, hospital staff, and residents of South Toledo who depend on UTMC for their medical care. Including persons with different perspectives will lead to more creativity and better solutions. The committee(s) should follow a problem-solving approach that includes identifying key issues, setting priorities, generating solutions, and evaluating them for feasibility.
● Staying any future moves of UTMC clinical, educational, or research programs to ProMedica hospitals until a comprehensive plan for UTMC is complete. We need to stop the bleeding before developing a longer-term treatment plan.
● Restoring key programs that have been removed from UTMC. The restoration of programs should be based on educational, clinical and research priorities identified by the planning committee(s) noted above.
● Developing new and innovative educational, clinical, and research programs that would serve as “centers of excellence” at UTMC with these programs being fully supported by the UT-COMLS and other UT health care-related colleges.
This will be the most important part of any plan for the reinvigoration of UTMC. Specialty programs in oncology, orthopedics, cardiology, urology, family medicine, and behavioral health are already in development and can serve as springboards for other programs to follow.
Interdisciplinary programs have particular potential for development as we recognize the complexity of diseases such as COVID-19 and its effect on all the major organ systems in the body, including the brain and cognition.
The question that all planners should keep in mind is “What can UTMC be?”
● Making a plan for capital improvements that have been deferred in recent years and that will be absolutely necessary for the development of the programs that will re-invigorate UTMC.
A vigorous search for funding sources including clinical income and grants as was suggested by Rep. Marcy Kaptur in her Blade essay earlier this year.
● Developing an aggressive marketing program for the oncology, cardiology, urology, family medicine, and behavioral health programs as well as other programs to be restored to and newly developed at UTMC.
Certainly, there are other features that should be part of a plan for a “new” UTMC. For example, the “Save UTMC Coalition” recently published a 12-point plan that may be useful to review.
However, the above steps can represent a beginning.
In conclusion, Dr. Postel’s recent essay is a cause for optimism given that he appears to value UTMC as an integral part of UT’s overall mission and not just an asset to be sold to the highest bidder.
In addition, there have been positive developments during his brief tenure as UT’s leader including the retention, support and development of the UTMC Dana Cancer Center and Orthopedics Center. He should now begin the planning process for the redevelopment of UTMC that will once again bring pride to the UTMC faculty and staff as well as the citizens of northwest Ohio.
Like many, I will look forward to seeing these plans develop and come to fruition. I also know that many of us stand ready to help if called upon.
Kudos to Dr. Postel and all who have contributed to the beginning of UTMC’s Phoenix-like rebirth.
A. John McSweeny is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toledo. He also holds a law degree.