ProMedica Company

When it comes to practicing medicine, these pros have it down pat. ProMedica Health System is a not-for-profit health care provider offering a full spectrum of medical services to residents of Ohio and southeastern Michigan. The system is composed of about a dozen hospitals (including the 800-bed Toledo Hospital) and more than 300 other facilities, such as long-term care and rehabilitation centers, a physicians' group, research clinics, and urgent care centers. In addition, ProMedica has a comprehensive elder care program featuring assisted living, skilled nursing, and hospice facilities. The organization also provides HMO services. Founded in 1986, ProMedica's hospitals house about 2,300 beds.   The system's nearly 3,000 physicians receive nearly 3 million patient visits each year. Along with operating its own acute care hospitals, ProMedica partners with Lima Memorial Health System (LMSH) to help operate some of its facilities. LMSH is a not-for-profit system housing Lima Memorial Hospital as well as 25 other facilities that provide a range of medical specialties in 10 counties throughout northwest Ohio. ProMedica administers cancer and orthopaedic care through two institutes. The ProMedica Cancer Institute renders specialized oncology care for a range of cancers. Treatment options include surgery, chemo- and hormone therapy, and vaccine or biological modifier therapy. The institute also conducts clinical trials with cancer patients to research and test new treatment options. The health system's Orthopaedic Institute specializes in sports medicine and bone care including total joint replacement, spine, back, hand, foot and ankle surgery, and rehabilitation. ProMedica partners with The University of Toledo College of Medicine to provide residency training, fellowships, clerkships, and a host of other educational programs to medical students. The two formed the agreement in mid-2010 and expanded it later that year to stretch over a five-year period. By 2016, the total number of residency and fellowship openings within the two organizations will expand from about 330 last year to nearly 425. The plan is to have an additional 29 residency rotations at ProMedica and 26 expanded residency rotations. Additionally, the five-year plan calls for an expansion of residency and fellow programs in areas such as general surgery, otolaryngology, anesthesiology, pain management, and pediatric trauma. As part of the partnership, ProMedica and UT will invest several million dollars to increase the number of clinical trials in which the two organizations engage. ProMedica helps member hospitals negotiate lower prices for medical supplies and equipment through a management agreement with Lake Erie Regional Cooperative (LERC). LERC has about 250 members and uses its size to negotiate favorable contract rates with hospital suppliers based on aggregate purchasing power. Members include about two dozen acute care facilities and a range of other health care organizations.