The Mayo Clinic announced on Wednesday that it has added Heartland Health in St. Joseph, MO to its Mayo Clinic Care Network. The addition brings to four the number of hospitals and health systems that are members of the network.
Heartland Health is an integrated health delivery system, which includes Heartland Regional Medical Center and Heartland Clinic. It primarily serves northwest Missouri.
The MCCN is part of the venerable Rochester, MN-based clinic’s strategy to extend its geographic reach without building costly new facilities, spending cash to acquire hospitals, or consolidating with another health system.
The other MCCN affiliates are Altru Health System (North Dakota and Minnesota), ASU Health Services (Arizona), and Kingman Regional Medical Center (Arizona).
Mayo doesn't hold an ownership position in any of the individual affiliates, which will continue to operate independently. The financial terms of the Heartland Health affiliation were not released.
Most patient care will continue to be provided at the affiliate facilities, but MCCN members will have access to Mayo Clinic physicians, continuing medical education, and Mayo's disease management protocols. Clinical trials and clinical care guidelines may be added later.
As is typical of the other network affiliates, Heartland Health and Mayo Clinic already have a relationship. Heartland uses the Mayo Telestroke Network in its emergency department. It enables Mayo neurologists to remotely evaluate patients who have had acute strokes and make treatment recommendations to Heartland physicians.
As a consequence of the affiliation with Mayo, Heartland will forgo its longstanding relationship with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Mark Laney, MD, president and CEO of Heartland Health explained during a media conference that the Mayo relationship will include all of its employed physicians regardless of specialty. "We had a wonderful relationship with MD Anderson for three years. This is simply an opportunity to do something for all of our patients and all of our departments."
In recent years Mayo Clinic has made no secret of its desire to expand the Mayo brand to like-minded facilities that share its culture and patient focus. It expects to name a number of MCCN affiliates this year, including a site in Florida, according to David Hayes, MD, medical director for the network.
Last year it launched the Mayo Clinic Cancer Care Network with the goal of expanding nationwide. Coborn Cancer Center in St. Cloud, MN, is the first and only member. The cancer network is an extension of the MCCN and includes many of the same services.
Mayo Clinic remains in the hospital ownership business. Mayo Clinic Health System includes 17 owned hospitals in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, as well as two owned hospitals in Phoenix and Jacksonville.
In March, Mayo Jacksonville acquired Satilla Health Services in Waycross, GA. The 231-bed hospital was renamed the Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross.
Margaret Dick Tocknell is a reporter/editor with HealthLeaders Media.
