Professor David Hayes: the Mayo Clinic Care Network
Introduction
Dr. David Hayes (Figure 1) is medical director of Mayo Clinic Provider Relations, which includes the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The mission of Mayo Clinic Provider Relations is to establish collaborative and clinically meaningful relationships with high-quality providers to benefit patients, accelerate innovation and increase value in health care.
Dr. Hayes received his bachelor’s degree in biology and doctorate of medicine, with distinction, from the University of Missouri in Kansas City, Mo. He completed his internship in internal medicine, and residencies in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. He also completed specialized training in cardiac pacing at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, and a fellowship in nuclear cardiology at Cornell University Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Hayes’ interest in implantable cardiac devices has led to numerous lectures and publications on cardiac pacing and defibrillation. He has published 301 manuscripts and 459 abstracts. A past president of the Heart Rhythm Society, he remains active in this organization and the American College of Cardiology. He is also a member of Mayo Clinic’s management team.
In September 2016, Dr. Hayes visited the editorial offices of AME Publishing Company, publisher of the Journal of Thoracic Disease, in Guangzhou (Figure 2). Dr. Hayes shared his insights into the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a network of independent, like-minded organizations committed to improving the delivery of health care through high-quality, data-driven, evidence-based medical care.
Interview
JTD: What kind of cooperation is Mayo Clinic seeking in China?
Professor Hayes: The Mayo Clinic Care Network is a relatively new program that allows Mayo Clinic to collaborate with strong, regional health care organizations in the U.S. and in other countries. The Mayo Clinic Care Network enables us to share Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise with member organizations, which ultimately benefits patients by helping them stay closer to home for care.
Mayo Clinic seeks to build and nurture these clinical relationships—whether in China or elsewhere—with like-minded and culturally similar organizations. Member organizations can use clinical tools including: eConsults that allow physicians to consult electronically with Mayo specialists on specific patient cases and AskMayoExpert, a database of Mayo-vetted medical information for use at the point of care that includes disease management protocols, care guidelines and treatment recommendations.
JTD: What’s the standard of choosing an organization to collaborate with?
Professor Hayes: The Mayo Clinic Care Network reflects Mayo Clinic culture—we are an integrated, patient-centered care system. So, we are looking for other organizations that share our approach to health care and are interested in working together to benefit patients. The bottom line—it’s about meeting the needs of patients.
JTD: Would you like to share the most successful case of medical provider relations?
Professor Hayes: We have seen that physicians working together can keep more of their patients close to home. Through eConsults, for example, Mayo specialists have been able to consult with local care providers and confirm their treatment plans, thus giving the physician and patient additional peace of mind. In 5 years of the network, we know that this working together has helped hundreds of patients avoid unnecessary travel for additional opinions.
JTD: How many times have you been here in China and what changes have you witnessed?
Professor Hayes: I’ve been to China many times. The very first time dates back to many years ago when we traveled from Guangzhou to many other cities. China has changed quite a lot since my first visit. China’s health care has developed quickly.
JTD: In Mayo Clinic, other than the clinical work, doctors are also involved in management work. Does that diffuse doctors’ energies? What do you think is the difference between being a doctor and an administrator?
Professor Hayes: Mayo Clinic was developed by the Mayo brothers as a physician-led organization. Today, physician leaders work with administrative partners who support physicians and increase efficiencies. This partnership ultimately benefits patients.
Acknowledgements
On behalf of the editorial office of Journal of Thoracic Disease (JTD), the author would like to extend her gratitude to Dr. David Hayes for the interview.
Footnote
Conflicts of Interest: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
(Managing Editor: Eunice X. Xu, JTD, jtd@amepc.org)
