• Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Innovation during COVID-19 improves patient care for the future

At Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the COVID-19 pandemic means expanding virtual capabilities, increasing innovation, communicating and coordinating even more than usual, and streamlining patient care.

Dr. Richard Gray, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, says the medical teams and staff continue to be nimble and flexible, and they are learning each step of the way.

"I think that all of the creative solutions and accelerations in health care transformation will be what we'll carry with us," says Dr. Gray. "Because those will still be a day-to-day part of how we're taking care of patients and how we're performing our research and education duties."

Dr. Gray adds, "It's validated a lot of our thoughts of what the future should look like for Mayo Clinic and in a patient-centered way."

Mayo Clinic Arizona medical staff working in hospital and wearing Personal Protective Equipment PPE during COVID-19
Mayo Clinic in Arizona medical staff taking care of a patient with COVID-19.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gray talks about the empathy and bravery of staff, as well as patients. And he expands on how the lessons learned will affect the "Arizona. Bold. Forward." strategy. That strategy will include adding space for inpatient care, outpatient care areas, emergency department and laboratory space, and expanding Mayo Clinic's education and research footprints.

Watch: Dr. Gray discusses innovation during COVID-19 is improving patient care for the future.

Read the full transcript.

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For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a nonpatient-care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Learn more about tracking COVID-19 and COVID-19 trends.

March 4, 2021- Mayo Clinic COVID-19 trending map using red color tones for hot spots