C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Sparrow Children's Center Affiliate

ANN ARBOR -- A new affiliation between Sparrow Children's Center  and the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital will provide children and families in the mid-Michigan area with expanded pediatric specialty care close to home.

The new agreement, announced today, will promote collaboration between physicians at UM's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Sparrow Children's Center.

Membership in the Mott Children's Hospital Network will strengthen and expand existing partnerships. Currently, Mott Children's Hospital pediatric surgeons perform procedures at Sparrow Children's Center and a Mott pediatric cardiologist has based her practice in Lansing.

"This agreement is great news for children and families in the Lansing area," said Chris Dickinson, M.D., interim executive director of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "Our affiliation will provide Sparrow patients direct access to the specialized pediatric care at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, but also will allow local care to remain local: our specialists will provide care in Lansing, in addition to our hospital in Ann Arbor."

Hospital officials hope the collaboration will allow physicians to find new ways to detect and treat disease, allow for development of common resources and joint efforts on pediatric care initiatives.

"Our organizations are working together to provide expanded care right here in Lansing at the Sparrow Children's Center," said Dennis Swan, Sparrow president and CEO. "Our physicians will have access to the latest Mott expertise and clinical care resources, and will collaborate with Mott physicians so that patients only travel outside the region when necessary."

The affiliation also can assist in making clinical research trials more readily available in the community.

Another key advantage to the affiliation is the ability to jointly recruit new pediatric faculty to practice in the Lansing area. 

"We look forward to working with Sparrow and UM faculty to recruit new physicians to work in Lansing," Dickinson said.

Sparrow also will have enhanced neonatal intensive care transport when the University of Michigan Survival Flight takes over as Sparrow's air medical transport service on Jan. 1. The move gives Sparrow access to the most technologically advanced aircraft in the state and medically supervised flights with physicians who are residents at University of Michigan.

Survival Flight maintains two helicopters 24 hours per day, seven days per week with a third helicopter available for backup.

"This is about what is best for kids. We are truly excited about the possibilities this can offer and are eager to further build this affiliation," says Dickinson.

According to Swan, "Forming closer relationships, collaborating, and sharing information tools with leading medical providers, like this affiliation with Mott,  is another step in fulfilling Sparrow's mission to improve healthcare of the people in our communities by providing quality, compassionate care to everyone, every time."

More at www.mottchildren.org or www.sparrow.org.