CHICAGO, March 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Feinberg), Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMHC), Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (NMFF), and Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group (NMPG) today announced plans to integrate their clinical operations under one unified organization that will be branded Northwestern Medicine.

As part of this integration, a new combined physician enterprise will be established, to be called Northwestern Medical Group (NMG). This new entity will allow the aligned clinical organizations of Northwestern Medicine to better coordinate patient care, teaching and research.

“Integrating our clinical organizations will allow us to maximize resources to support bold new endeavors in treatment, research and academic pursuits,” said Eric G. Neilson, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Dean of Feinberg, who will chair the NMG Board of Directors.

“Combining our clinical enterprises enhances our ability to retain and recruit the nation’s best physicians, nurses, researchers, students and other professional healthcare staff to improve the patient experience, while positioning us to meet the challenges of national healthcare reform,” said Dean M. Harrison, who will be President and CEO of the integrated health system. “The transition will be seamless to our patients and offer well coordinated care with greater access closer to where our patients live and work.”

The groups signed a letter of intent today, and will continue negotiating a definitive agreement over the coming months, aiming to close by September 1, 2013.

SOURCE Northwestern Medicine