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YSU and Mercy Health partner for new collaboration
By Bruce Walton
Youngstown
Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel and Mercy Health Youngstown President and CEO Don Kline expressed their mutual enthusiasm Wednesday for a new partnership.
The two parties said they look forward to developing both academic and medical collaborations to build upon each other’s strengths.
“I’m personally very excited about having the opportunity to be working with a visionary such as Jim Tressel as we look to the future coming years to take our partnership to new heights to service this community,” Kline said at a news conference in YSU’s Kilcawley Center.
Although the two parties have signed a 10-year agreement, this is not the first time YSU and Mercy Health have worked together. The two have collaborated on multiple projects and internships with YSU’s medical students and Mercy Health’s staff as well as sponsorships in the past. But Tressel said he sees this agreement as “bigger, better and more official.”
One of the benefits from the agreement Tressel said he’s most excited for is the partnership managing the daily operations and staffing of the YSU Student Health Center with Mercy Health physicians to further improve campus health care.
There is “excitement in the recognition and reminder to our students that we have their health interests No. 1 in our concerns, and that we’re trying to do all we can do to keep getting better and better at that,” Tressel said.
Both parties will have the opportunity for new internships as well as more opportunities for research between the facilities and a 10-year sponsorship with YSU athletics.
The agreement also will develop a plan to better connect the YSU campus and Mercy Health’s St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital with the Youngstown Business Incubator, America Makes and the Youngstown business district.
The agreement also will help with developing the new master’s degree in athletic training they hope to have ready in the coming fall semester.