Siemens Healthineers and the University of Missouri System (UM System), including all four universities, and University of Missouri Health Care (MU Health Care), have established the Alliance for Precision Health that will leverage their joint expertise to transform healthcare delivery, promote education in the fields of technology and engineering, and develop groundbreaking research initiatives. The strategic alliance focuses on four key pillars: healthcare delivery, education and workforce development, healthcare innovation, and research and collaboration to improve the quality of care for patients in Missouri and around the world. 
 
A global pioneer in medical technology, Siemens Healthineers will ensure the UM System’s four universities and MU Health Care have access to the latest innovations in diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, educational and training resources, and digital health solutions through a 10-year Value Partnerships agreement. Through the agreement, Siemens Healthineers will combine its strength in medical technology management and digitalization into a future-proof solution for the UM System that generates long-term benefits. The UM System will, in turn, employ these resources to deliver high-quality care, collaborate with Siemens Healthineers on joint innovation research projects, and enhance opportunities for students by offering refreshed educational curricula and mentorship programs.
 
“Our vision for the entire UM System is to advance the opportunities for success and well-being in Missouri, the nation, and the world through transformative teaching, research, innovation, engagement, and inclusion,” said UM System president Mun Y. Choi. “Forming an alliance with Siemens Healthineers enables us to work toward this mission by providing our university and health system with leading-edge technology and resources, unique research and collaboration opportunities, training for the next generation of the healthcare workforce, and expansion of our contributions to medicine and healthcare to rural Missouri and beyond.”
 
This alliance will support the research, educational and clinical care goals of the new statewide NextGen Precision Health Initiative, the UM System’s highest priority. That initiative positions Missouri on the leading edge of healthcare breakthroughs, focusing on treatments for diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease, among many other illnesses that plague Missourians and patients around the world. The effort will be anchored by the NextGen Precision Health Institute at the University of Missouri’s flagship institution in Columbia, Mo., where world-class researchers from all four UM System universities and industry partners will work together to accelerate life-saving treatments from bench to bedside. 
 
The building will include laboratories, classrooms, and innovative space for faculty and researchers, along with industry partners, to focus on precision medicine and digital health.
 
“This unique alliance leverages the engineering expertise of Siemens Healthineers along with our innovative systems and services in tandem with the research and education acumen of the UM System and the clinical expertise of MU Health Care to both transform the way that healthcare is delivered and train the clinical and engineering workforce of the future,” said David Pacitti, president and head of the Americas, Siemens Healthineers. “As one of the largest single alliance deals in Siemens Healthineers history, this strategic relationship ensures that we can elevate the patient experience for those in Missouri and beyond for years to come.”
 
“At MU Health Care, our mission is to save and improve lives,” said Jeremy Fotheringham, executive director of University Hospital service lines at MU Health Care. “The launch of this innovative industry and university alliance allows us to lead the transformation of healthcare delivery, teaching, and research to have a greater, demonstrable impact on lives in Missouri and beyond.”
 
Healthcare Delivery
Siemens Healthineers will provide the UM System with pioneering laboratory and imaging technology, as well as enterprise services and digital solutions. In doing so, the alliance between Siemens Healthineers and the UM System enables the optimization of operations within the MU Health Care system of hospitals and clinics and the development of best practices in diagnostic and therapeutic treatments.
 
For example, the NextGen Precision Health Institute will be one of the first facilities in the Midwest to install the Magnetom Terra 7 Tesla (7T) MRI scanner, the world’s first commercially available clinical diagnostic 7T imaging system. The UM System will use the Magnetom Terra in both clinical and research settings with a focus on furthering ultra-high field MRI capabilities. The UM System will also utilize the advancements made by Siemens Healthineers in the field of artificial intelligence and healthcare digitalization to enhance clinical and operational outcomes. For instance, the UM System will install the syngo Virtual Cockpit, a software solution that allows radiology technicians to connect remotely to scanner workplaces in order to assist personnel at different locations, especially where more sophisticated examinations are required, allowing the provider to access superior imaging services, even in remote locations.
 
Through the alliance, Siemens Healthineers will gain insights from real-world utilization of its products from experts at the UM System and MU Health Care. These insights from clinical practice can be used in the development of its medical technologies and services.
 
Education and Workforce Development
Both Siemens Healthineers and the UM System recognize the importance of educating the healthcare workforce of today and the future. Therefore, the alliance between the organizations prioritizes the co-development of curricula that prepare students to excel in the fields of cybersecurity, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence related to healthcare. 
 
Additionally, the MU College of Engineering and Siemens Healthineers will support workforce development by providing mentoring opportunities to students. The collaboration will provide a workforce pipeline of highly qualified researchers and healthcare professionals needed for generations to come. 
 
“This alliance will help the University of Missouri recruit and develop the world’s best and brightest researchers and students,” MU Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright said. “Our medical, graduate and undergraduate students will have access to unprecedented educational, entrepreneurial and industry opportunities. They will graduate as some of the most qualified professionals and scholars in Missouri and beyond, and will go on to lead today’s—and tomorrow’s—healthcare workforce in such critical areas as cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, and even jobs we can’t imagine yet.”
 
Healthcare Innovation
Through the alliance, Siemens Healthineers will provide UM System with the means to leverage digital health tools that transform healthcare delivery. Siemens Healthineers aims to assist the UM System in the integration of digital health solutions, such as syngo.via, throughout the enterprise, giving clinical departments access to timely, meaningful and actionable data. The UM System and Siemens Healthineers will cross-share learnings with their respective partner institutions, while working together on developing an integrated digital workplace.
 
Research and Collaboration
Based upon established research relationships between the organizations, Siemens Healthineers and UM System researchers will continue to work together to propose future research projects that utilize the UM System’s research expertise and Siemens Healthineers’ in vivo and in vitro diagnostic equipment, data analysis, and scientific support. Both organizations aspire to initiate projects that will focus on the advancement and implementation of precision medicine.
 
The 10-year Value Partnerships agreement is valued at $133 million, which includes Siemens Healthineers delivery of advanced medical imaging equipment and supporting infrastructure in the NextGen Precision Health Institute. Separately, as part of the established research relationship, the parties will jointly contribute to the establishment of the Alliance for Precision Health in amounts that could reach $40 million.
 
For more information, please visit: allianceforprecisionhealth.org