PEORIA — A partnership is bringing additional expertise to physicians and patients in the OSF HealthCare System from some of the most specialized doctors in the country.

On April 19, OSF HealthCare System, based in Peoria, joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, allowing OSF physicians to connect directly with specialists from the world-famous Mayo Clinic on questions of patient care, using an electronic consulting technique called eConsult. eConsult is a web-based platform that allows for primary care provider-to-specialist conversations, aimed at speeding access to specialty care and better care coordination.

“OSF HealthCare and Mayo Clinic are both committed to the belief that health care should always be provided as close to home as possible,” said OSF HealthCare System Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications James Farrell. “As part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, OSF HealthCare physicians, when treating complex cases, have the ability to access Mayo’s clinical resources and collaborate with Mayo specialists, ensuring that patients can benefit from Mayo knowledge and expertise locally and need to travel outside the region for care only when necessary. By working together, Mayo Clinic and OSF HealthCare look to build new and innovative ways to provide the best possible care to patients and their families.”

Mayo Clinic Care Network will connect OSF physicians with the latest Mayo Clinic expertise through an online tool called “AskMayoExpert.”

“AskMayoExpert is a state-of-the-art online tool created and used by Mayo Clinic,” said Farrell. “AskMayoExpert makes available Mayo-vetted knowledge in disease management, clinical care guidelines, treatment recommendations and reference materials for a variety of medical conditions at the point of care.”

 All of the facilities within the OSF HealthCare System, including OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac, OSF Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth and OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group in Escanaba, Mich., will have access to the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

OSF patients will not be charged when their physicians access the Mayo Clinic Care Network. They will receive the same treatment as they would at the Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group based in Rochester, Minn. Only OSF patients with very complex medical situations will be sent to the Mayo Clinic for care and treatment. 

The Mayo Clinic Care Network was created 18 months ago. The primary goal of the 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. The network has member organizations based in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Puerto Rico.

OSF HealthCare System is the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

“We are delighted to welcome the 14,000 members of the OSF team to the Mayo Clinic Care Network,” said Mayo Clinic Care Network Medical Director David Hayes in a news release. “Mayo Clinic and OSF share a patient-centered culture that thrives on improving outcomes and increasing value. The Mayo Clinic Care Network helps achieve those results. We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with this excellent organization and its dedicated staff, working together during the coming years to improve patient care and develop new delivery models.”