When Pam Bergee was diagnosed with breast cancer, her care team stepped in . . . from all across the region. “They coordinated my appointments so seamlessly that I never had to worry about my next steps,” Pam says.
NH+C, Mayo Clinic and Allina Health collaborate to bring a full range of cancer care to Northfield, for seamless care close to home.
“There are wonderful cancer specialists in the Twin Cities and Rochester. But it can be a burden if patients have to drive far for every appointment, or to multiple locations to see different specialists,” says Jodi Wieczorek, Director of the Cancer Care & Infusion Center at Northfield Hospital. “We can make it work better for patients by having their care happen here.”
Medical oncologists from Mayo Clinic and Allina Health come to Northfield to treat patients at the Cancer Care & Infusion Center. (Patients can choose between Mayo or Allina providers.) Patients who need radiation are referred to Mayo Clinic’s Radiation Oncology Clinic across the street from Northfield Hospital – even if their oncologist is from Allina. “It’s more convenient for patients than traveling to Minneapolis or St. Paul to another Allina facility,” Jodi says. “Allina collaborates with Mayo Clinic to make it work best for patients.”
The three partners tap the expertise of each organization to bundle together the best in surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and clinical care. Patients get seamless care from top experts, coordinated by nursing staff, including cancer care navigators.
Patients benefit from continuity of care, convenience for multiple appointments, and communication between all their specialists for truly person-centered care.
For some cases, experts from all three organizations meet for a “cancer care conference” (also called a “tumor board”) to review diagnostic data and share ideas for the managing care team to help tailor the best treatment plan for that patient.
Nurses, social workers and pharmacists join doctors to consider personal and family circumstances that could affect how the patient manages their treatment – from consults with specialists, rides to the hospital and making meals at home, to managing medication and emotional support.
“We share a common goal: Make cancer treatment as successful as possible for each patient,” Jodi says. “We’re glad to have such a broad, talented team to give each patient the combination of resources that’s just right for them.”
Learn more about Cancer Care at NH+C.
Range of services
Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology (all three organizations) Allina Medical Oncology Allina Virginia Piper Cancer Institute Mayo Medical Oncology Mayo Radiation Oncology NH+C Cancer Care & Infusion Center NH+C Surgery Department (surgeons see patients at NH+C clinics and Allina clinics) NH+C Laboratory (pathology) NH+C Rehabilitation Services (cancer rehabilitation) NH+C Nutrition & Dietetics NH+C Medical Social Work Department