Word on Street: Evanston Northwestern Health Care Looks South

The word on the street is that Evanston Northwestern Health Care (ENH) which runs Evanston Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital and Highland Park Hospital is looking for a new academic affiliate. Will it say good bye to Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and hello to a new partner? Even as ENH plans to buy Rush North Shore Hospital it is in negotiations with Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago (formerly Chicago Medical School) for a possible new Academic affiliation.

Northwestern Med's Dean Larry Jameson has expressed the wish that ENH contribute more dollars to the med school to support research and teaching reinforcing the suspicion at the downtown campus of Northwestern Med that ENH gets the cache of the Northwestern name without contributing much in the way of funds back to the med school. Unfair cries Dr. Jameson.

It won't be long, I predict, before the University of Chicago Medical School is in the game. ENH may be looking south rather than north. More later.  

p.s.  Where is Glenbrook Hospital?  Not in Glenbrook -- no such place.  It's in Glenview, IL.

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Northwestern Memorial Hospital Plants Flag in Sand - El Norte

Northwestern Memorial Hospital made public the purchase of a 10 acre parcel of land in the north west suburbs, the Chicago Tribune reported today. The location is Northbrook near Interstate 294.

This brings to light an interesting battle of the giants of health care in northern Illinois. Advocate is moving to acquire Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, IL, apparently beating out Lake Forest Hospital for the prize. Evanston Northwestern Health Care (ENHC) is to acquire Rush North Shore in Skokie. Not too long ago ENHC, which acquired Highland Park Hospital in 2000, was allowed to keep it in a ruling by the FTC that examined the "anti-competitive" nature of that acquisition.

Before we know it there will be juggling in med school affiliations. The Chicago Tribune suggests today that Rosalind Franklin University (the former Chicago Med) might get into bed with ENHC leaving Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to find another affiliate.

Stay tuned.

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