Innovation during COVID-19 improves patient care for the future

At Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the COVID-19 pandemic means expanding virtual capabilities, increasing innovation, communicating and coordinating even more than usual, and streamlining patient care.

Dr. Richard Gray, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, says the medical teams and staff continue to be nimble and flexible, and they are learning each step of the way.

"I think that all of the creative solutions and accelerations in health care transformation will be what we'll carry with us," says Dr. Gray. "Because those will still be a day-to-day part of how we're taking care of patients and how we're performing our research and education duties."

Dr. Gray adds, "It's validated a lot of our thoughts of what the future should look like for Mayo Clinic and in a patient-centered way."

Mayo Clinic in Arizona medical staff taking care of a patient with COVID-19.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gray talks about the empathy and bravery of staff, as well as patients. And he expands on how the lessons learned will affect the "Arizona. Bold. Forward." strategy. That strategy will include adding space for inpatient care, outpatient care areas, emergency department and laboratory space, and expanding Mayo Clinic's education and research footprints.

To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.