• Minnesota

    Trinity Health Joins Mayo Clinic Care Network

MINOT, N.D. — In a move designed to strengthen the delivery and quality of health care in northwest North Dakota, Mayo Clinic today welcomes Trinity Health
as the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. As a member of the network, Trinity Health's physicians and other providers will have direct access to Mayo Clinic experts and clinical resources.

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Mayo Clinic established the network in 2011 to extend knowledge and expertise to physicians and providers interested in working together to benefit patients and enhance the delivery of health care at the local level.

"We welcome our colleagues from Trinity Health, who diligently work to provide patient-centered care, to the Mayo Clinic Care Network," says David Hayes, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Care Network. "Trinity Health was founded nearly a century ago to serve a region in need of a quality health care provider, and Trinity continues that mission of service today. By working with such committed organizations, Mayo Clinic hopes to develop new models of care, and increase quality for patients by providing the right care, at the right place, at the right time."

Trinity Health president and CEO John Kutch says entering into a collaborative relationship with Mayo Clinic is a privilege.

"One of our strategic imperatives has been to expand and strengthen relationships with other care systems," Kutch says. "Membership in the Mayo Clinic Care Network may be the ultimate fulfillment of that goal. We're excited about what this means for our patients and communities. Working with Mayo Clinic, we'll be in the strongest position possible to deliver high-quality, best-practice care. I congratulate our staff, physicians and all who have worked so hard to make our patients healthier, safer and more supported."

As a Mayo Clinic Care Network member, Trinity Health physicians will be able to connect with Mayo Clinic specialists on questions of patient care using an electronic consulting technique called eConsults. Trinity providers also will have access to Mayo-vetted medical information through the AskMayoExpert database. Kenneth Keller, M.D., Trinity's physician champion for the new relationship, believes these tools, in addition to health care consulting, will help Trinity Health provide the best care for its patients as well as improve its systems and the health of the community.

"I am particularly excited for Minot and our surrounding communities because patients will now have access to Mayo expertise without necessarily having to travel," says Dr. Keller, who also serves as medical director of the Radiology Department. "This collaboration will give a major boost to the quality and volume of resources available to physicians, hospital staff and, especially, our patients. It will allow more of our patients to get the care they need right here at home."

The Mayo Clinic Care Network represents non-ownership relationships. Network members share a commitment to improve the quality and delivery of health care. The primary goal of the Mayo Clinic Care Network is to help people gain the benefits of Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise close to home, ensuring that patients need to travel for care only when necessary.

Trinity Health employs more than 2,700 people and is a fully integrated health care system including an acute care, full-service hospital.

Trinity Health extends the presence of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in North Dakota, where Mayo first launched the network in 2011. The network also has member organizations in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire and Puerto Rico in the United States, and in Mexico.

About Trinity Health

Trinity Health is a nonprofit, integrated health care system providing a full complement of health care services to the people of western North Dakota and eastern Montana. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Trinity has been recognized as one of America's "50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals" for 2013 by Truven Health Analytics and among the nation's "Most Wired" health systems. In 2010 Trinity earned a "Best in Value" Award from the Hospital Value Index.