Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital (JIH), Partners HealthCare International (PHI) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are working to extend a long-term collaborative partnership between JIH and PHI to include the development of a women's health center of excellence at JIH.

In July, JIH, BWH and PHI signed a Memorandum of Understanding that initiated discussions about a women's health affiliation, which includes the development of obstetrics, gynecology and in vitro fertilization programs, as well as a neonatal ICU and integrated women's health.

"We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Brigham and Women's Hospital, a world recognized leader and innovator in women's health," said Ge Feng, CEO of JIH. "The expertise available at Brigham and Women's will help us develop a program that will not only elevate, but transform the level of health care services that women are currently offered in China."

JIH envisions a full complement of integrated services focused on the health of the whole woman at the new women's health center of excellence.

"We aim to redefine and redesign health care for women in China, offering a full range of care that tailors to their needs at different stages of life," said Ge.

"Chinese women today value convenience, clinical quality and a patient-centric experience. Many are looking for a high-caliber healthcare provider partner who not only empowers them to live a healthy lifestyle and seek preventive care, but someone who is also capable of handling both normal and complex cases that require the close collaboration of multiple medical subspecialties," Ge added.

Jiahui International Hospital started construction in September 2014, and is expected to open in 2017. With a total investment of $500 million and a multiyear partnership signed with PHI, JIH will become the largest foreign-invested for-profit tertiary-level hospital in Shanghai.

"This marks yet another important milestone in our five-year partnership with JIH. In addition to this newest development, our efforts in Shanghai have also included important contributions from other partners' member hospitals, including, Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital and North Shore Medical Center," said Dr Gilbert H. Mudge, CEO of PHI.

As the academically based global arm of Partners HealthCare, PHI is one of the leading non-profit health care systems in the US. It was founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the two oldest and largest teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School.

"As global citizens, we are committed to forging meaningful partnerships that allow us to share our clinical, scientific and teaching expertise for the benefit of people around the world," said Elizabeth G. Nabel, president of BWH.

"We look forward to working with Jiahui International Hospital to improve the health and well-being of women in China," Nabel added.

As a founding member of PHI, BWH has one of the most advanced women's health centers in the world, which is committed to the discovery, dissemination, and integration of knowledge on women's health and sex and gender-based differences; applying this knowledge to the delivery of care; and developing the next generation of clinicians and scientists in women's health research and clinical care.

Paula A. Johnson, professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School said there are differences between men and women in the risk and prevalence of many different diseases, and response to treatment also differs by sex.

Hong Xiao in New York contributed to this story.

(China Daily USA 08/25/2015 page2)