Medical mall benefit: Clinical integration

By Kathy Eno

There have been numerous guest editorials and letters to the editor about the pros and cons of closing two blocks of Second Avenue to accommodate the Medical Mall as a part of the downtown medical district. I would like to offer my perspective, a patient perspective in support of allowing Physicians' Clinic of Iowa to build a Medical Mall that will promote clinical integration and be patient-centric and convenient.

Good outcomes and low cost have made Cedar Rapids health care among the best in the nation. My primary care physician will call me at home at 7 p.m. to share and explain test results. I have experienced good care from Cedar Rapids surgeons and specialty physicians. I have a choice of two excellent hospitals. I have been a patient at St. Luke's many times and received outstanding care.

So why did I choose to go to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics when I was faced with a diagnosis of cancer?

Medical care in Cedar Rapids is fragmented. After the shock of the diagnosis, I had to choose a general surgeon, then an oncologist who would help determine a treatment regimen and on and on. Treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation is provided all over the city. I was forced to navigate this process at one of the most vulnerable times of my life.

I decided to get a second opinion at the UIHC, and I chose its model of care: clinical integration. My surgeon, oncologist and radiation oncologist are a team. They meet regularly to discuss my specific course of treatment and the right hand always knows what the left hand is doing.

Two weeks ago, I experienced my five-year checkup. It went like this:

7:15 a.m. - Blood drawn in cancer clinic.

7:30 a.m. - Infusion.

8:40 a.m. - Mammogram.

9:30 a.m. - Bone density scan.

11 a.m. - Appointment with oncologist.

1 p.m. - Appointment with surgeon.

When I went to my appointments, both physicians had all my results, determined that I was healthy and sent me on my way. I never had to repark my car, cross a busy street or leave the building for lunch. It was a long day but one that was easy to navigate.

In the new era of health reform, clinical integration and positive outcomes are going to be the measure of how providers are compensated. Clinical integration can only be obtained when treatment can be delivered in a setting that allows a patient to only have to navigate from one physician to another, or from one procedure to another - not from one end of the city to another.

I believe that PCI has presented a thoughtful and strategic way to accomplish clinical integration: one building filled with different specialties and diagnostic testing all under the same roof.

The competition in our area is not just choosing a hospital or physician. Cedar Rapids is competing with the UIHC from the south and Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.) from the north.

As a community, I believe that all of our providers, hospitals and physicians need to cooperate and collaborate to meet the challenges of reform and to address the future needs of our community. The PCI Medical Mall model will attract physicians and allow us to compete on a regional basis.

Change is always difficult, but I believe that closing two blocks of Second Avenue is a small price to pay for the health, safety and convenience of patients in need.

Kathy Eno of Cedar Rapids is retired from teaching special education in the Cedar Rapids schools. She has served on many local organizations' boards, including United Way, Waypoint, Brucemore and St. Luke's. Currently, she serves on the Iowa Health System Board of Directors. Comments: keenollc@aol.com