everything about every disease; there is simply too
much information,” Dr. Mulvey said. “The Mayo Clinic
is an international leader in the study of this particular
disease, so to get their advice was incredibly valuable.”
A P A T I E N T ’ S S T O R Y
Dr. Mulvey’s patient, Larry Parker, knew he had a fight
ahead of him when he first learned of his diagnosis.
“For some people, they think everything is going to
be fine, but I’m a person who looks at all things, and
certainly I was at a point where you start to plan your
own funeral,” Larry said.
Dr. Mulvey was more than up to the task of strat-
egizing Larry’s treatment and was encouraged by the
research and pace of improvement in the disease’s
treatment.
Larry went through a variety of treatments, includ-
ing chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He
responded well, but the process took a major physical
toll.
“Don’t ask me everything they did because it gets a
little blurry. I would say the treatment I got at Kootenai
Clinic was very professional and also very kind,” Larry
said.
Finally, Dr. Mulvey believed Larry was in remission, but
there were still uncertainties about the diagnosis and what
could be done next to help his body physically recover.
“We tried new drugs and looked into experimental
therapies, but I was at a point where I was not sure he
would need any further treatment,” Dr. Mulvey said.
“When the idea of an eConsult with Mayo came up,
Larry thought it was a no-brainer. He and I had even
talked about him going to the Mayo Clinic months
before this partnership began.”
Larry knew of the Mayo Clinic’s expertise in amyloi-
dosis and was already pleased with how Dr. Mulvey’s
strategy for the disease matched the information he
researched. So to him, the Mayo Clinic was the natural
place for a second opinion.
“Suppose I go to Spokane. Nobody in Spokane does
anything with this disease. Nothing in Seattle,” Larry
said. “The only confirmation is the Mayo Clinic. Bottom
line—that’s the place I need to get the information.”
The consult itself, from Larry’s perspective, was
simple. It came at no additional cost, and it happened
within 48 hours.
“I just said yes and the hospital did everything,” he
said.
The consult confirmed what Dr. Mulvey had hoped—
his patient was in a complete hematologic remission,
and there was a supported plan for physical recovery.
“I had a certain amount of confidence just from what
Dr. Mulvey was saying, but to have that second opin-
ion come from someone who is on the forefront and is
most knowledgeable of my disease was something,”
Larry said.
‘ E X C E L L E N T C A R E A T H O M E ’
It’s important to note Dr. Mulvey’s own expertise in the
field of oncology. The partnership with Mayo Clinic only
strengthens the base quality of cancer care already
happening at Kootenai Clinic.
After receiving his medical degree from Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New
York, Dr. Mulvey completed his residency at Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center, also in New York, then a
fellowship in hematology and oncology at the National
Naval Medical Center in Maryland. He arrived at Koote-
nai Health last year after practicing in Minneapolis and
St. Paul, Minnesota.
Since Dr. Mulvey joined Kootenai Health, he’s
recruited additional doctors and expanded outreach
clinics and research.
“We are providing state-of-the-art cancer care and
are actively involved in clinical trials,” Dr. Mulvey said.
“There is very little that we can’t do here compared to
Spokane and the rest of the Northwest.”
Dr. Mulvey believes the partnership will improve the
quality of care at Kootenai Health as well as open up
more opportunities for clinical trials.
“It will allow people to continue to get superb care at
home, surrounded by their family and support struc-
ture,” Dr. Mulvey said. “It is only going to make things
better for health care in the Inland Northwest.”
KOOTENAI HEALTH’S
ACCESS TO THE
MAYO CLINIC:
◗
◗
eConsults allow network physicians to connect
electronically with Mayo Clinic specialists when they
want additional input regarding a patient’s care.
◗
◗
AskMayoExpert provides point-of-care information
compiled by Mayo physicians on disease manage-
ment, care guidelines, treatment recommendations
and reference materials for a wide variety of medical
conditions.
◗
◗
eTumor Board Conferences allow physicians to pres-
ent and discuss management of complex cancer
cases with a Mayo Clinic multidisciplinary panel and
other members of the network.
KH . ORG
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COLLABORATION
