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  • Phoenix Children's Expands Partnership with UA

    The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Children's Hospital announced on Friday, Aug. 6, 2010, an agreement to expand their affiliation, a move designed in part to address Arizona's severe shortage of pediatricians. 

    Under the agreement, the College of Medicine – Phoenix designates the Hospital as its principal pediatric affiliate while the Hospital names the university as its principal academic affiliate.

    "Our formal affiliation positions the College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Children's Hospital as one of the nation's premier sites for pediatric health care, training, and research," said Stuart Flynn, MD, dean of the College of Medicine – Phoenix. "We are creating a dynamic partnership to bring the top physicians and scientists to make lifesaving discoveries and expertly train the next generation of pediatricians."

    The Hospital is in the midst of $538 million expansion that will make Phoenix Children's one of the largest freestanding children's hospitals in the nation. As part of that expansion, Phoenix Children's has spent the last four years recruiting internationally renowned clinical leaders, and they are now guiding the Hospital's clinical, research, and educational offerings. The affiliation with the University of Arizona is the next logical step for the Hospital, whose vision is to be a leader – regionally, nationally, and internationally – in pediatric health care.

    The partnership is expected to add medical residencies to a state desperately in need of them. Arizona's ratio of medical residents to its population is among the lowest in the United States.

    "The Hospital will now be able to train and retain its very own top talent and continue to recruit some of the best and brightest minds in pediatric medicine," noted Robert L. Meyer, president and CEO of Phoenix Children's.

    The two entities also plan to partner on a variety of research projects aimed at preventing, curing, and treating childhood diseases and injuries.

    "Phoenix Children's has long been conducting cutting-edge research, and this affiliation with the University of Arizona – and the tremendous amount of research infrastructure that comes along with it – will allow us to jointly take pediatric research in Arizona to the next level," said Meyer.

    At the announcement on the campus of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, Meyer and Flynn signed the agreement in front of a crowd of U of A faculty and administration, Phoenix Children's physicians and staff, and members of the Hospital's current group of medical residents.

    Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon ended the event with a few closing remarks, offering his praise for a collaboration that will have a strong impact on the city of Phoenix and the state.


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