Mayo Clinic launches Mayo Clinic Care Network
Mayo Clinic announced on Thursday the launch of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a provider network that will benefit from having access to Mayo Clinic doctors and other resources aimed at improving patient care for network members.
The first member of the new care network is Altru Health Systems of Grand Forks, N.D.
“For many years, Mayo Clinic has enjoyed collaborative relationships with hospitals, group practices and providers around the world,” said David Hayes, MD, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in a press release. “By developing formal connections with high-quality, culturally aligned practices, the Mayo Clinic Care Network takes these natural collaborations even further.”
[See also: Mayo, Cleveland Clinics look to network with physician practices; Mayo Clinic launches new healthcare delivery center]
According to Mayo Clinic, members of the network will share similar philosophies and commitment to the delivery of healthcare. While some patients from network providers will still need to travel to a tertiary care facility, it sees the network as a way to benefit both the providers and their patients via access to Mayo clinic expertise.
“Altru’s relationship with Mayo Clinic is based on cooperation and collaboration to improve the well-being of patients in our region,” said Casey Ryan, M., president of Altru Health System in an announcement. “Through clinical integration, we are proud to ensure our patients have access to the highest level of knowledge and expertise.”
Altru physicians and Mayo Clinic have been collaborating since earlier this year, a relationship that has already allowed many Altru patients to continues receiving their care close to home as opposed to making the trip to Mayo Clinic.
“The providers of Altru are learning a lot from the relationship, and I believe the Mayo Clinic people are learning a lot about what this relationship means to the future of healthcare,” said Matthew Roller, MD, an Altru neurologist who has worked with colleagues at Mayo Clinic. “Together, we have the opportunity to innovate and improve outcomes for our patients by working together.”
Yesterday’s announcement formalized the relationship with Altru, a move that Mayo hopes may spur other providers in the region to follow suit.
“The Mayo Clinic Care Network represents non-ownership relationships,” said Hayes. “The goal is to offer more people and communities access to Mayo Clinic expertise so that patients can benefit without ever having to travel to a Mayo Clinic facility. While more people are seeking Mayo Clinic care than ever before, we recognize this as a unique opportunity to extend our knowledge base even further.”
