Massachusetts Medical Society’s Forum
Posted on October 30th, 2013 by John Noseworthy, M.D.
http://futureofhealthcareblog.mayoclinic.org/discussion/massachusetts-medical-societys-forum?6638549=1

This morning, I presented at the Massachusetts Medical Society’s “State of the State’s Health Care Leadership Forum” in Waltham, Mass. I shared how Mayo Clinic as an academic, integrated group practice of medicine is responding to profound change in health care.

Fragmentation is real and a profound problem for health care in America. It results in uneven quality and drives up health care spending. Too often, as providers, we use resources in ways that lead to repeated tests, procedures and treatment delays.

Mayo Clinic believes providers have an obligation to lead. To address fragmentation, Mayo Clinic is focused on efforts to create value, improve quality and reduce costs.

This approach is reflected in Mayo Clinic’s work today — through initiatives that improve safety, access and integration of care for patients. Examples include Mayo Clinic Care Network, our work in telestroke and efforts to help patients recover from surgery more quickly.

We are sharing knowledge to deliver patients the best health care, health guidance and health information.

We recognize and appreciate that the cost of care is a tough nut to crack. We believe that driving change is best done with data and teams of people working together to address the problem. For Mayo, our most scalable asset is our knowledge. We have found sharing knowledge is a powerful integrator that reduces fragmentation, improves quality and drives down costs.

Editor’s note: John Noseworthy, M.D., is the president and CEO of Mayo Clinic.