University, Saint Francis Establish Formal Affiliation

Christopher M. Dadlez (left), president and CEO of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, shakes hands with University of Hartford President Walter Harrison Thursday after the two signed a formal affiliation agreement.

(l-r) Ralph O. Mueller, dean of the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions; Christopher M. Dadlez, president and CEO of Saint Francis Hospital; University of Hartford President Walter Harrison; and Lou Manzione, dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture.

Officials from the University of Hartford and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center signed an affiliation agreement on Thursday (June 24) that provides a framework for developing joint research and educational programs.

Under the agreement, Saint Francis will become the main clinical partner for the University in a wide range of programs in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions (ENHP) and the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA). The affiliation agreement will provide the framework for clinical placements for University of Hartford students at Saint Francis; advanced educational opportunities for Saint Francis staff at the University; and innovative, long-term research initiatives and collaborations. The joint programs are intended to benefit learners, researchers, practitioners and, ultimately, patients.

University of Hartford President Walter Harrison and Saint Francis President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher M. Dadlez signed the agreement on Thursday afternoon during a brief ceremony in the rotunda at the hospital's main entrance.  The ceremony was attended by members of the University of Hartford and Saint Francis communities, including ENHP Dean Ralph Mueller and CETA Dean Lou Manzione.

See video of Thursday's signing ceremony.

“Saint Francis and the University of Hartford have collaborated informally for many years on programs that have benefited the community. This mutually beneficial partnership was two years in the making, and I am excited to see it come to formal fruition,” Dadlez said.

"In crafting this agreement, we have gone beyond outlining simple clinical intersections, to fostering collaboration and innovation on an institution-wide basis," Dadlez added. "Academic initiatives that essentially bring the University into the hospital are the key to advancing both teaching and research."

Harrison, who has been a member of the Saint Francis Board of Directors for the past eight years, said that the agreement will give the two institutions "a platform to launch all sorts of interesting partnerships" in the areas of health care, research, and education.

"This is a great day, when two significant Hartford institutions, located a little more than a mile apart, come together to form an important partnership for the future of the Hartford region," Harrison said. "Sometimes the most revolutionary transformations start closest to home."

Dean Mueller said that the partnership will "allow for truly relevant educational and scholarly experiences. Our academic programs, as well as the research initiatives in our newly established Institute for Translational Research in Education, Nursing, and Health Professions, will benefit greatly. In short, we are thrilled by the affiliation with Saint Francis’ top-notch staff to better our service to the Greater Hartford community while advancing knowledge in health care.”