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ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Eathorne, MD, President & CEO of Together Health Network announced today that the University of Michigan Health System has joined Together Health Network as a referral provider for complex quaternary health care services, effective immediately.

Quaternary care services are those complex inpatient and outpatient services that generally are provided only in selected settings such as the University of Michigan Medical Center hospitals in Ann Arbor.  Some examples include those selected transplant services, highly specialized pediatric care, and certain cancer clinical trial services that Ascension Michigan and Trinity Health do not offer. 

Together Health is a statewide physician-led clinical network of health care providers, formed in 2014 by a partnership between the Michigan ministries of Ascension and Trinity Health and thousands of physician partners.

According to Dr. Eathorne, the addition of UMHS to the network gives patients in need even greater access to comprehensive, specialized care:  "The University of Michigan has highly renowned physicians and services.  This new provider agreement brings UMHS' nationally ranked health care expertise to our members throughout the state where Together Health Network operates."

The agreement allows for UMHS to provide those quaternary care services generally not available in the communities served by the hospitals and physicians associated with Ascension and Trinity Health.

This partnership with UMHS helps Together Health to round out its clinical integration strategy to provide patients access to comprehensive care across the continuum. It also paves the way for further, broader clinical collaboration efforts between UMHS and Together Health.

Seventy-five percent of Michigan residents live within a 20-minute drive of a Together Health Network provider. The network includes 25 hospitals, hundreds of ambulatory centers operated by Ascension and Trinity Health, and a dozen physician organizations across the state. For a complete list, visit www.togetherhealthnetwork.org.

According to UMHS President David Spahlinger, MD, joining Together Health is beneficial in several ways.  "Our health care providers will have access to more hospital and ambulatory partners across Michigan.  This will benefit both our clinical practice and our medical training programs.  This is a great benefit to our patients, to our doctors, nurses and other caregivers, and to our students."

About Together Health Network
Together Health Network provides advanced care coordination services through competitively-priced health plan products. It offers patients and employers a combination of high quality and low cost, with an exceptional experience of care.  The Network's objective is to improve both health and care for Michigan residents by facilitating relationships within its network of physician organizations, health systems, insurers, patients, and health providers.  At the core of Together Health Network's culture are clinicians connected by a common purpose and meaning; they lead with a team-based care approach, based on a shared commitment and vision of positive outcomes. It is estimated that 75% of Michigan residents are within 20 minutes of one of the network's 25 hospitals and thousands of ambulatory centers and physician offices. For more information, visit http://www.togetherhealthnetwork.org.

About University of Michigan Health System
For more than 160 years, the University of Michigan Health System has been a national leader in advanced patient care, innovative research to improve human health, and comprehensive education of physicians and medical scientists. The three UMHS hospitals have been recognized numerous times for excellence in patient care, including national rankings in many specialty areas by U.S. News & World Report.

The UMHS includes a 1,000-bed hospital complex and more than 40 clinical care facilities.  In addition this academic medical center includes the top-ranked U-M Medical School, a 1,900-physician faculty group practice, numerous research laboratories, $470 million in research grants, and highly regarded training programs. For more information visit: www.uofmhealth.org.

About Ascension Michigan
The Michigan Ministries of Ascension include Borgess Health in Kalamazoo, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center in Rochester, Genesys Health System in Grand Blanc, St. John Providence in metro Detroit, St. Joseph Health System in Tawas and St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw and Standish. Together, the health systems employ more than 25,000 associates and are a major economic driver in the state, with $1.4 billion in payroll each year.  In fiscal year 2015, Ascension Michigan provided more than $260 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty.  

Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care.  As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.

About Trinity Health – Michigan
Trinity Health – Michigan is a leading health care provider and one of the state's largest employers. With more than 24,000 full-time employees serving numerous counties, Trinity Health – Michigan provides the full continuum of care for Michigan's residents through eight hospitals, including the five hospitals of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Howell, Livonia and Pontiac, and the three-hospital Mercy Health, operating in Grand Rapids and Muskegon.

Throughout Michigan, Trinity Health operates numerous ambulatory sites, seven home health agencies, four hospice agencies and 21 senior living facilities, which include skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, memory care facilities and independent senior living communities. It also manages 10 additional senior living facilities, including low-income housing through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Nationally, Trinity Health is a leading Catholic health care system based in Livonia, Mich., with operations in 22 states. Trinity Health employs about 95,000 full-time employees, has annual operating revenues of $15.9 billion, assets of $23.4 billion, and returns about $1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.

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SOURCE Together Health Network