Ashley Hodge Harris named point person on Baptist Health Care-Mayo Clinic collaboration

Pensacola Young Professional co-founder and one of the first IN Rising Stars, Ashley Hodge Harris, has been named to coordinate the new collaboration between Baptist Health Care and the Mayo Clinic Care Network, according to BHC president and CEO Mark Faulkner.

On Friday, July 19, Baptist Health Care and Mayo Clinic announced the Pensacola-based health care system is the most recent member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

The Mayo Clinic Care Network shares Mayo Clinic’s knowledge and expertise with physicians and providers interested in working together to enhance the delivery of health care for their patients. Baptist providers now have access to Mayo Clinic resources, including its online point-of-care information system and electronic consulting process that connects physicians with Mayo Clinic specialists on questions of diagnosis, therapy or care management.
Baptist is the first organization in the region to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The organization remains the area’s only locally owned, not-for-profit health care system, providing services across northwest Florida and south Alabama.

“Through this relationship, Baptist and Mayo Clinic share a desire to improve the delivery of health care throughout the region with high-quality, evidence-based medical care and treatment,” said Faulkner at the Friday press conference. “Working together, we can treat an increasing number of patients closer to home.”

Baptist underwent a thorough review process based on quality, service and operational criteria. The assessment confirmed the commitment Baptist shares with Mayo Clinic in improving the delivery of health care. Baptist’s membership is a direct result of its culture and dedication to providing compassionate patient care.

“Baptist is the established, premier health care provider in the region, and by working together through the care network we can accelerate innovative patient care even more,” says Stephen Lange, M.D., Southeast medical director of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. “Through this collaboration, patients in the Pensacola area will have access to top providers at Baptist, and also benefit from the leading expertise of specialists at Mayo Clinic.”

Baptist physician experts will be able to connect with those at Mayo Clinic on questions of complex medical care using an electronic consulting technique called eConsults. They also will have 24/7 access to Mayo-vetted medical information and guidelines through AskMayoExpert, a Web-based resource created for physicians and other health care providers. These tools, in addition to health care consulting related to clinical and business processes, will allow staff at Baptist to continue to provide the best care for its patients as well as support the organization’s mission to improve the quality of health in the community.