
GE Healthcare and University Hospitals Sign 10-Year Strategic Partnership
GE HealthCare and University Hospitals (UH) have announced a 10-year strategic collaboration aimed at improving patient care in northern Ohio. The partnership between the two organizations seeks to leverage advanced technologies and digital solutions to enhance clinical and operational efficiencies, improve workflow, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes. University Hospitals operates an integrated delivery network of 21 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The network provides care for over one million patients per year.
The collaboration involves the deployment of state-of-the-art GE HealthCare technologies across various medical disciplines, including nuclear medicine, X-Ray, vascular and cardiovascular ultrasound, regional CT, fluoroscopy, surgery, and bone densitometry. Notably, these systems will include AI-enabled technologies designed to optimize clinical decision-making and improve the overall quality of care.
One of the primary objectives of this collaboration is to implement enterprise-wide technology solutions that streamline workflows for healthcare professionals and enhance the patient experience. The partnership will introduce AI and machine learning-enabled technologies to enhance image quality, reduce scan times, and improve diagnostic capabilities. These technologies are expected to provide operational efficiency, consistency, and productivity. GE HealthCare will also provide its Smart Subscription service, which includes software updates and AI enhancements to extend the lifespan of imaging equipment. This service aims to boost equipment performance and uptime. Furthermore, standardized protocols will be established across CT devices to enhance workflow, utilization, and fleet management. This approach will ensure that UH remains at the forefront of clinical and workflow innovations. This will include ongoing education and training programs for technologists, students, and physicians. Finally, a cloud-based digital hub for UH’s radiology department will be implemented, streamlining daily management, improving scheduling, reducing downtime related to equipment maintenance, and enhancing patient coordination.
UH’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Paul Hinchey, emphasized the importance of GE HealthCare’s solutions in improving the patient experience and overall health outcomes. This collaboration aligns with UH’s mission to provide quality care for the community in Northeast Ohio.
The partnership also likely serves as a framework for similar partnerships in the future and shows GE’s plan to sell an integrated set of solutions to hospital systems in conjunction with their individual technology offerings. Companies that integrate software solutions and training protocols into technology offerings, typically become stickier and harder to displace given the added switching costs for the customer.