Henry Ford Health
Henry Ford Health was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1915 by auto pioneer Henry Ford. Now one of the nation's leading comprehensive, integrated health care systems, it provides both health care delivery and coverage, operates a $100 million research enterprise and a robust medical education and training program.
With 33,000 team members, the health system comprises five acute care hospitals, three behavioral health facilities, 250+ sites including medical centers and healthcare retail, and one of the nation's largest group practices, the Henry Ford Medical Group with more than 1,900 physicians and researchers practicing in over 40 specialties. Acute care hospitals within the system include: Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI; Henry Ford Jackson Hospital in Jackson, MI; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. The System's flagship, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, is a Level 1 Trauma Center recognized for clinical excellence in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, sports medicine, multi-organ transplants and cancer treatment.
As one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Henry Ford Health trains more than 3,000 medical students, residents, and fellows annually in more than 50 accredited programs, and has trained nearly 40% of Michigan’s physicians. The System’s dedication to education and research is supported by nearly $100 million in annual grants from the National Institutes of Health and other public and private foundations. An early adopter of integrated care and population health, Health Alliance Plan joined the Henry Ford Health family in 1986, connecting clinical and insurance resources to offer the highest quality health care at the best value.
Henry Ford Health’s mission is to improve lives through excellence in the science and art of health care and healing. Since its founding, Henry Ford physicians and scientists have focused their efforts on a wide variety of topics critical to understanding the mechanisms of disease and developing new, viable treatment options. With an established research structure and access to a diverse patient community, Henry Ford was able to act immediately when the coronavirus pandemic struck. Henry Ford utilized emergency-use authorizations from the FDA to treat and track COVID-19 patients, creating and monitoring database registries to inform future clinical treatment. Henry Ford researchers initiated and continue to lead a collaborative registry that includes nearly all COVID inpatients and treatment-related outcome data from Detroit-area hospitals.
Another team was formed to collect and store in a biorepository biospecimens from consenting COVID inpatients to be used for research purposes. Within only a few weeks of the initial local surge, Henry Ford Health public health researchers began daily predictive modeling efforts, helping to determine supply chain needs and finding that while patients of color were more highly represented among admissions, their mortality was not higher.
Henry Ford’s research teams were involved in more than 220 trials and studies related to COVID-19, including serving as a testing site for Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 clinical vaccine trial, and was the only hospital system in Michigan chosen as a Phase 3 trial site for the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine. Beyond traditional clinical trials, researchers conducted studies ranging from a social media-based survey of Michigan residents related to their social-distancing behavior to an NIH-NIAID funded study investigating the transmission of the virus between children and their families.
Henry Ford Health is unique in supporting an Innovation Institute, a multidisciplinary team directly engaged with identifying and developing health care solutions, business opportunities and contributing to the effective operation of the System. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic a system-wide command structure met weekly to assess operations and needs. Members of the Innovation Institute were included in all meetings to help identify new opportunities and develop new initiatives and projects. The Institute’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) currently operates in 15 countries, partnering with hospitals, universities, and government agencies to improve health care globally and leverage its knowledge toward clinical applications that can be used at home. During the pandemic, GHI was grounded but used that time to supervise vaccine trials conducted at Henry Ford and work with the City of Detroit to coordinate COVID testing, outreach and education.
The Innovation Institute has been integral in the development of three internationally-licensed hospitals – one in Saudi Arabia and two in India – that will expand the Henry Ford brand and clinical practice, while serving entirely new populations. The technology sector also has provided exceptional opportunity for innovation. The Innovation Institute has coordinated five partnerships with Israeli tech start-ups with potential for greater expansion.
Henry Ford Health is committed to improving the health and wellness of Michigan’s diverse communities, while serving as one of the region’s largest and most diverse employers. The System has strengthened its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) by embedding social justice principles in every aspect of its operation.
Building on a tradition of more than 100 years of excellence in healthcare, Henry Ford recognizes that there are disproportionate numbers of underrepresented racial and ethnic populations affected by serious and chronic medical conditions. The System works to understand and address racial and ethnic health disparities by supporting research and programs conducted by its Research and Population Health teams, Health Disparities Research Collaborative and Institute on Multicultural Health. Operationally, Henry Ford is developing a three-year DEIJ Strategic Plan to ensure that its workplace is increasingly diverse and offers genuine opportunity, that it serves a thriving community offering quality care in culturally sensitive ways, and that it collaborates with a flourishing business community committed to the same principles. This means the System will value and encourage diversity in its workforce; manage and maintain an investment portfolio that reflects its values; create and support a diverse supplier network; cultivate volunteer leadership that reflects the diverse communities served; actively advocate for DEIJ among elected officials, law enforcement and the busines community; and, consistently work to identify and eliminate racial and cultural disparities in health care.
Recognized nationally for exceptional care and superior patient experiences, Henry Ford Health is a leader in research and education and a trusted partner in health care across Michigan. Visit henryford.com for detailed information on partnerships, programs, services, physicians, and the fight against COVID-19.