JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH SYSTEM, MEDICINE FORM NEW ALLIANCE

In a historic move, the leadership of the Johns Hopkins Health
System and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have
taken formal steps to integrate their functions in the delivery
of health care. The new alliance will operate under the title
"Johns Hopkins Medicine."
     Although legally they will retain separate corporate
status, the Johns Hopkins Health System and the School of
Medicine expect to maximize opportunities for both institutions
through the new collaboration.
     In a joint statement, James A. Block, president and CEO of
the health system and the hospital, and Michael E. Johns, dean
of the School of Medicine and vice president for medicine of
the university, described the formation of the new alliance.
     "Over the past year, we have begun to use the term 'Johns
Hopkins Medicine' when referring to the delivery of health care
by physicians affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine in settings organized by the Johns Hopkins
Health System. Implicit in the term is a sense of shared values
and mission, yet, legally, the health system and the university
are two separate corporations," the statement said.
     "To survive and thrive in today's environment, we must
have a framework to ensure that Johns Hopkins Medicine
functions in a seamless fashion to deal with these changes. Our
two organizations must work harmoniously, synchronously and
swiftly to develop and implement unified, creative strategies.
Only in this way will we maintain our positions of leadership
and preeminence.
     "Within the past few weeks, the board of the health system
and the board of the university both approved 'Johns Hopkins
Medicine' as a formal alliance to ensure that we function in a
much more coordinated fashion than we have in the past. While
maintaining our separate corporate structures, we have
established joint policy, management and operational groups.
     "Johns Hopkins Medicine seeks to develop strategic
alliances, affiliations and associations. The product of this
initiative should be a tightly linked health-care financing and
delivery system that provides the highest quality health care.
Already, we have begun working together to forge new alliances
with managed-care organizations and with community hospitals in
every Central Maryland county. One Office of Managed Care now
coordinates the managed-care activities of the hospital and
university."
     A five-member group will oversee the functions of the
alliance. The group is comprised of the chairmen of the
university and health system boards, the president of the
university, the president of the health system and the dean of
the School of Medicine.
     In an appointment that illustrates the new joint working
relationship, John D. Stobo has been named vice dean for
clinical sciences of the School of Medicine, associate vice
president for medicine of the university and vice president of
the health system.
     A Massachusetts native who received much of his
postdoctoral training at Hopkins, Dr. Stobo, 52, returned to
Hopkins as physician in chief in 1985, after achieving
leadership positions at the University of California at San
Francisco and at the Mayo Clinic. He is an immunologist whose
research has advanced scientific understanding of arthritis,
diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune disorders.
     In 1993 Dr. Stobo was named senior associate dean for
clinical science of the School of Medicine. Officials of the
university and health system appointed him chairman of an ad
hoc committee on security, which spearheaded major improvements
on the East Baltimore campus.
     To assume his responsibilities, Dr. Stobo has relinquihed
his role as William Osler Professor and director of the
Department of Medicine. David Hellmann, the Department of
Medicine's deputy director, will serve as the department's
acting director until a search committee completes its work.