Nine months after announcing a "memorandum of understanding," the University of Texas Health Science Center and Methodist Healthcare System have made another joint announcement: the deal fell through.
The healthcare providers issued this joint statement Tuesday:
"Throughout the fall and spring, leaders from the UT Health Science Center and the Methodist Healthcare System/Methodist Children's Hospital have worked toward an affiliation agreement to provide pre-eminent pediatric care, academic training and research in the San Antonio and South Texas region.
"Given the complexities of an academic affiliation between the two institutions, and despite the best efforts and intentions by both parties, it has not been possible to finalize such an agreement. Thus, at this time the UT Health Science Center and Methodist Healthcare are no longer pursing an academic partnership.
"The Health Science Center and Methodist Healthcare look forward to enhancing their positive and mutually supportive relationship and will continue to work together on many ongoing programs."
UTHSC and Methodist announced in September 2013 that the two would enter into an academic partnership that would allow researchers, teachers and physicians to collaborate with doctors at Methodist Children's Hospital, which is undergoing an expansion.
This is the latest potential partnership in pediatric care to fall through for UTHSC.
In July 2013, a deal with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, or CHOP, and Baptist Health System crumbled due to conflicting parent companies.
CHOP's competitor, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, bought Baptist Health System's parent company, Vanguard, which created ethical and practical obstacles in the effort to create a new children's hospital in the Alamo City.
For a list of recent stories Myra Arthur has done, click here.