Middletown’s Middlesex Hospital has joined the network of one of the world’s foremost patient-care providers and researchers, the Mayo Clinic.
Middlesex CEO Vincent Capece Jr. announced the partnership Thursday, hailing it as an opportunity for the 111-year-old hospital “to elevate the delivery of care to our communities.”
The partnership does not impact Middlesex Hospital’s independence, officials said.
“We see this as a long-term collaboration that will enable us to bring premier care to the patients we serve and jointly address the challenges we all face in health care,” he said in a statement.
Middlesex Hospital is the first health care organization in Connecticut to join the Mayo Care Clinic Network that launched in 2011, Capece said. The network consists of more than 30 member organizations across the U.S., and in Mexico and Singapore. The nonprofit Mayo Clinic is based in Rochester, Minn.
“We believe that working closely with strong, high-quality regional organizations like Middlesex benefits patients and communities,’’ said Mayo Clinic internist Keith Cannon, who is medical director of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. “When we are similarly focused on the patient experience and the importance of seamless care, we redefine what is possible in health care today.”
As a Mayo Clinic Care Network member, Middlesex will have access to the latest Mayo knowledge, officials said. Network tools and services include:
• eConsults that enable Middlesex physicians to connect electronically with Mayo specialists when they want additional input on a patient’s care.
• AskMayoExpert that provides Middlesex physicians with point-of-care, Mayo-vetted information on disease management, care guidelines, treatment recommendations and reference materials for medical conditions.
• eTumor Board Conferences that enable Middlesex physicians to present and discuss management of complex cancer cases with a multidisciplinary panel of Mayo Clinic specialists and other network members.
Through the network, Middlesex care providers also will be able to consult with Mayo Clinic on operational and business processes such as patient engagement; quality, safety and accreditation; nursing leadership; and physician engagement, officials said.
Providers also will have access to Mayo’s extensive library of educational materials for use with their patients and grand rounds presentations that feature Mayo physicians and scientists.
