Northwest Health, which includes Siloam Springs Regional Hospital, has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a move hospital officials said will connect Northwest patients to specialists at the country's highest-rated hospital system at no extra cost.
Northwest includes medical centers in Bentonville and Springdale as well as the hospital in Siloam Springs and will remain its own health system with its own employees and patients, system chief medical officer Dr. James Tanner said Tuesday. But those patients and caregivers will now be able to remotely consult with Mayo Clinic's experts, peruse its libraries and learn from its experiences.
"They have every specialty, every subspecialty that we may not have that depth on," Tanner said, adding Mayo Clinic can give Northwest a leg-up to develop new types of clinics and procedures. "Why reinvent the wheel?"
The hospital announced the change Tuesday at Springdale's Holiday Inn to dozens of elected officials and other locals.
Being a care network member doesn't mean Northwest is lacking in some way, said Dr. David Hayes, medical director for Mayo Clinic provider relations. He said the process to join the network takes months and includes reviews of the system's safety, quality and culture to make sure patients are put first.
The sharing of knowledge and experience can also flow from Northwest to Mayo Clinic or include the other 40-some members of the network around the world, said Hayes, who's also a cardiologist.
"We do better for our patients when physicians collaborate," he said. "This is not hub-and-spoke," but rather a web of connected health care providers.
The Minnesota-based, nonprofit Mayo Clinic employs thousands of physicians and includes locations in Arizona and Florida, according to its website. Hayes said its facilities treated 1.5 million people last year.
U.S. News & World Report ranked it as the No. 1 hospital in the country for 2017-18 based on its performance in a host of health areas that include diabetes treatment, geriatrics and neurosurgery.
Mayor Doug Sprouse, who attended the announcement, said it was yet another positive change for the city and its surroundings.
"This is another step toward ensuring Northwest Arkansas will continue to be a real medical destination, not only for our region but beyond our region," he said.
In practice, the relationship allows patients to get a second opinion on their cancer treatments or other needs without traveling or more charges, Hayes said. Physicians could schedule a consultation with the Mayo Clinic within two days or so. If it's an emergency, the consultation could come within the hour. Nurses and other providers can use Mayo Clinic's patient education material.
Mayo Clinic's specialty is in complex, often rare health needs that require teams of physicians and other caregivers, Hayes said, so the network can swiftly provide that team when needed.
Dr. Andrea Read is medical director for the Northwest-Sparks Quality Alliance, which includes health systems around Arkansas owned by Northwest's parent company. She said the network will help her handle the mountains of health care information out there that's always changing.
"It just gives me that additional layer of support," she said. "It's really just an incredible thing for our community and our patients."
For more information on the Mayo Clinic Care Network's members and history, go to www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/care-network
General News on 04/22/2018