In an effort to further its commitment to creating the health providers of the future, the UNT Health Science Center has partnered with Catalyst Health Network.
Catalyst Health Network is a URAC accredited clinically integrated network of 515 primary care providers and 70 care team members that operates as a non-profit that aims to improve health, coordinate care and lower cost. Catalyst is known for its innovation, collaboration and patient-centered care.
The partnership will enable UNTHSC students — who include future physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists and physical therapists — to train in primary care clinical settings under the direction of the Catalyst network.
“The agreement reinforces UNTHSC’s focus on education, research and the health care of the community,” UNTHSC President Michael Williams said in the release. “It will also give students new opportunities to train in the clinical environment in which they will one day practice. Catalyst not only aligns perfectly with UNTHSC’s values, it is the future of healthcare in North Texas. This unique relationship embodies everything we do regarding our mission to create the healthcare providers of the future.”
UNTHSC explained that the Catalyst partnership has the opportunity to change healthcare delivery by bringing private care and academic institutions together to expand opportunities in research and education.
“Through this partnership, we will be able to accomplish more than either organization could do alone. UNTHSC is building the workforce of the future, and Catalyst is building the healthcare model of the future,” Catalyst president Christopher Crow said in the release. “Together we can shape the North Texas market to be a national leader in value-based care to help our communities thrive.”
According to the release, currently most residencies are hospital-based even though 90 percent of medicine is actually practiced in ambulatory settings.
Through the Catalyst partnership, residency training in ambulatory primary care will be incorporated in the students’ education.
“This partnership is all about collaboration — and a unique relationship that is not tied to the past,” Michael Hicks, UNTHSC executive vice president of health system partnerships and clinical affairs, said in the release. “It’s about doing whatever it takes to redefine healthcare in North Texas and create the healthcare leaders of the future.”
For more information, visit www.unthsc.edu.