Edgewood, KY – Shared expertise and increased information are just two of the advantages St. Elizabeth gains from its participation in the Mayo Clinic Care Network, according to Dr. Royce Calhoun, director of thoracic surgery at St. Elizabeth. St. Elizabeth Healthcare joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network five years ago, after becoming the first healthcare system in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana to pass the rigorous review process required to become a member of the group.
The Mayo Clinic Care Network is a collaboration between more than 40 like-minded organizations striving to deliver high quality healthcare services and evidence-based medical care. It connects St. Elizabeth with the resources of Mayo Clinic through electronic consultation, video conferencing, educational offerings and more.
“Participation in the Mayo Clinic Care Network provides St. Elizabeth with resources and expertise that allow us to deliver a higher quality medical product for our patients,” said Dr. Calhoun.
Dr. Calhoun participates regularly in eTumor Boards and eTumor Board Conferences, which are multi-site discussions held via video conference by Mayo Clinic. These weekly events allow members to both observe and interact with multidisciplinary teams to share knowledge and discuss the management of their more complex cases. They provide a forum for sharing information among healthcare experts to improve patient care.
“This format allows us to present our complex thoracic oncology cancer patients to nationally recognized experts in the field and gain their expertise and insight into how to best manage these patients, including clinical trials. In this manner, our patients are getting virtual access to the Mayo Clinic without them having to travel to Mayo,” said Dr. Calhoun.
“We are pleased to celebrate this milestone with St. Elizabeth Healthcare,” says Mark Larson, M.D., medical director Midwest region, Mayo Clinic Care Network. “We are honored to be a resource that contributes to the excellent patient care provided by St. Elizabeth providers, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with this dedicated group.”
For the past two years, St. Elizabeth has sponsored a Lung Cancer Symposium focused on best practices and treatment innovations to improve the level of care available to people in the area with lung cancer. Physicians from Mayo Clinic participated in both events – sharing their knowledge and experience with attending physicians. Last year’s speakers discussed advancements in thoracic surgery as well as innovations in pathology and pulmonology. This year’s symposium featured two Mayo Clinic physicians who spoke on radiation treatment and systemic therapies for treating lung cancer and participated in a question and answer portion of the symposium.
“This collaboration helps us mature as a system,” said Dr. Calhoun. “We are part of a global community treating cancer. Our connection with the Mayo Care Network helps advance our program and foster relationships that improves the care we provide. It is a very valuable resource.”