The University of Texas and the Seton Healthcare Family said long ago that the formers medical school and the latters teaching hospital would work together to improve patient care, advance medical research and strive to lower the cost of health care.

Now that pledge to cooperate is in writing.

A 118-page affiliation agreement calls for UT and Seton to partner for 25 years, with up to two automatic 10-year extensions.

This cements the partnership between the University of Texas and Seton, Greg Fenves, UTs executive vice president and provost, said Monday.

This is the foundation of which we will put in place a whole set of resources, especially for the poor and vulnerable, said Jesus Garza, Setons president and CEO.

The agreement was released Monday, the same day that Seton began construction on a new teaching hospital adjacent to UTs Dell Medical School, which is also under construction.

UT aims to enroll its first medical students in July 2016. Seton plans to open its new hospital, which will replace University Medical Center Brackenridge, in April 2017.

The affiliation agreement allows UT to partner with other health care providers for training and clinical care that Seton, as a Catholic health system, cannot provide. Officials said that essentially continues the current arrangement.

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UT, Seton reach agreement linking medical school, clinical care