Thompson Health affiliates with URMC

Leaders from the University of Rochester Medical Center and Thompson Health in Canandaigua on Thursday signed an agreement making Thompson Health an affiliate of URMC.

The affiliation comes after several months of discussions and board approvals involving administrative leaders, physicians and board members among the two health systems.

“This affiliation between Thompson Health and the University of Rochester Medical Center offers a great opportunity to bring a truly integrated delivery system to the Finger Lakes Region,” said Linda Farchione, president and CEO of Thompson Health. “It will allow for coordinated service delivery of all levels of health care close to home.”

Dr. Bradford C. Berk, URMC CEO, called Thompson Health one of the most progressive, well-run health systems in the region, making it a natural fit with the URMC’s family of providers. He said by the partnership, a seamless network of health care delivery will be created, allowing patients to access many different levels of care at a variety of locations.

He and Frachione view the affiliation as an extension of successful partnerships that already exist between the two health systems within many medical and surgical specialties, including cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology, imaging and more.

“Health care is evolving rapidly and that has enormous implications for the way in which we deliver care, train new teams of professionals and search for cures,” said university President Joel Seligman.

Another community benefit of the collaboration will be that hundreds of Ontario County residents admitted to Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital each year will be able to receive the health care they need much closer to home at Thompson.

Key elements of the affiliation agreement include:

• The parent corporation Thompson Health will remain intact and continue to oversee and govern Thompson’s subsidiary corporations.

• Thompson Health will continue to operate under the guidance and leadership of its existing board of directors of members of the local community, adding new representatives from URMC.

• The Thompson Health parent corporation will retain its own local president/CEO. Farchione will continue to serve as the president/CEO until her retirement later this summer. On July 1, Michael Stapleton, Thompson’s current executive vice president/CEO will assume the role of president/CEO.