OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine faculty practice, University Hospitals Authority and Trust (parent organization of OU Medicine) and OU Medicine, Inc. (hospital partner) will to merge their hospitals and clinics into one unified organization, creating Oklahoma’s first truly integrated, comprehensive academic health system.

“Bringing the strength of these equally powerful healthcare organizations into one structure with a singular CEO and one team will give Oklahoma the health system we need to improve our statewide health outcomes,” said OU President Joseph Harroz, Jr. “This merger positions us to flourish and sets the stage for OU Health to be among the top tier of academic health systems across the country. The unification and structural change fully unleashes the talent and collaboration across our faculty practice, clinics and hospitals in order to deliver the best healthcare for Oklahoma.”

The merged organization will create a seamless experience for patients between clinics and hospitals, improve overall quality of care, bring research breakthroughs into care plans and improve Oklahoma’s ability to attract and retain the brightest minds across the national healthcare landscape.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is poised to increase its healthcare research activity and better meet the growing demand for training more healthcare professionals in Oklahoma.

The merger is a natural evolution in a century-long relationship between the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and its hospital partner. University Hospitals Authority and Trust (UHAT) is the parent organization of OU Medicine, Inc. 

As part of the merger, the OU College of Medicine faculty practice will create a new clinic practice to deliver clinical care within OU Health facilities, while continuing education and research activity within OU. This new clinic practice will formally merge with the hospital partner, a merger of equals, in order to unify the academic health system. The OU Health Board of Directors will be the single governing board of the health system and will consist of OU officers, UHAT Board Members and community leaders. 

A national search has commenced for the new OU Health CEO and is expected to complete in mid-2021. 

A non-binding letter of intent (LOI) is in place between the organizations, and definitive agreements are expected to be reached in the coming months. The definitive agreements are subject to approval by the OU Board of Regents, UHAT Board of Directors, and OU Medicine, Inc. Board of Directors.