PITTSBURGH, Aug. 25, 2014 – Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, located in the Hunan Province of China, is partnering with UPMC to establish an international medical center that will improve access to high-quality care for patients within the region. Through this visionary relationship, Xiangya and UPMC expect to engage in a long-term collaboration.

 

As part of a five-year advisory services agreement with the 3,500-bed Chinese hospital, UPMC will help it to establish the Xiangya International Medical Center on the existing Changsha campus. The facility will offer world-class care to private-pay patients under a government-endorsed effort to relieve overcrowding in public hospitals by cooperating with private facilities. UPMC will serve as the exclusive advisor on the management of the International Medical Center and will participate in both medical and administrative oversight of all services.

 

“As one of the most respected medical centers in China, Xiangya Hospital is well positioned to expand its services and its reach throughout Asia. By partnering with one of the largest academic health care systems in the U.S. — and one that brings a wealth of international experience — we believe that the new Xiangya International Medical Center will quickly become a leader in providing the highest-quality medical care available in China,” said Sun Hong, M.D., Ph.D., president of Xiangya Hospital.

 

UPMC’s services will include training for medical and administrative staff both in China and in Pittsburgh, sharing of enhanced quality assurance and safety processes, recommendations on technology, equipment and staffing plans, and telemedicine links to UPMC’s clinical programs in Pittsburgh and Italy. A small number of UPMC staff also will be located at the hospital for consultative work.

 

“This clinical collaboration in China is UPMC’s most extensive effort yet in that country,” said Charles Bogosta, president of UPMC’s International and Commercial Services Division. “This effort will ensure that more patients receive the most advanced medical care close to home. At the same time, the financial and intellectual capital generated by this partnership will allow UPMC to advance its clinical and research missions in western Pennsylvania and beyond.”

 

UPMC’s informal relationship with Xiangya dates back nearly a decade, with physicians from both institutions and the University of Pittsburgh collaborating on patient care and research. “Xiangya has a long history of innovation in medical care and a reputation for advanced clinical programs, including organ transplantation,” noted Bruno Gridelli, M.D., medical and scientific director of UPMC’s International and Commercial Services Division.

 

“We are excited about the potential to exchange knowledge and expertise with one of China’s best hospitals and to lay the groundwork for even greater collaboration in the future. Together, we are building a model for expanding access and raising the quality of health care throughout China.”

 

Established in 1906, the Xiangya Hospital is affiliated with the prestigious Central South University in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province. With more than 80 clinical departments, the hospital serves more than 100,000 inpatients and more than 2.1 million outpatients annually.

 

UPMC announced its first medical services agreement in China in 2011 with the provision of second-opinion pathology consultations to KingMed Diagnostics, the largest independent medical diagnostic laboratory in China. UPMC also has operations or offers services in Italy, Ireland, India, Canada, Singapore, Japan and Kazakhstan.

 

Through its international growth and commercialization efforts with industry partners, UPMC is diversifying its revenue, fueling economic development in its communities, and strengthening its ability to recruit and retain the best and brightest clinicians who are working together to improve health care outcomes globally.