WellStar Patients Now Have Mayo Clinic Access

HIRAM, GA — WellStar Health System, which includes WellStar Paulding Hospital in Hiram, is expanding a collaboration with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.

The expansion will give WellStar patients access to resources from the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a national network of organizations designed to better serve patients and their families, the network said Thursday in a news release.

"At WellStar, we are focused on finding innovative ways to improve patient care," said Dr. John A. Brennan, the network's executive vice president and chief clinical integration officer. "WellStar is home to some of the most accomplished and preeminent physicians in the Southeast. By collaborating with Mayo Clinic, we are giving our physicians and patients another resource that can improve the health of our community."

WellStar joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network in 2014. Now all 11 hospitals and WellStar Clinical Partners members are included in the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Through digital technology, physicians in the network can collaborate and share the latest medical information. Experts from WellStar and Mayo Clinic work together to enhance the delivery of healthcare, allowing many patients to receive answers to complex medical questions, close to home, according to the release.

Specialists across WellStar can now have access to Mayo Clinic's knowledge and expertise using a variety of electronic tools and services and can consult directly with Mayo Clinic experts on complex diagnosis and treatment plans. These tools and services include:

• eConsults: WellStar Clinical Partner doctors use electronic consulting to connect directly with Mayo Clinic specialists on complex patient cases, which is included at no cost to the patient.
• AskMayoExpert: All members of WellStar's medical staff have 24/7 access to Mayo-vetted medical information and guidelines through AskMayoExpert, which is a web-based resource created for physicians and other healthcare providers.
• Healthcare Consulting: Related to clinical and business processes, this relationship allows WellStar providers to accelerate patient care innovations.

Since launching in 2011, the Mayo Clinic Care Network has grown to include more than 40 healthcare organizations across the country and in China, Mexico, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Photo courtesy WellStar Health System