Two Years of World-Class Expertise

Imagine hearing words you thought you’d never hear. In that moment, all you want is the certainty that you’re receiving the very best care possible. Now imagine finding that reassurance close to home, with your local health system backed by the world’s leading specialists.

You or someone you love is suddenly facing a cancer diagnosis. One day life feels steady. The next, a subtle symptom has led to tests, a visit to our Cancer Center, and life-altering news. In that first wave of fear and uncertainty, one question arises above the rest: Is this the best treatment plan?

Now, imagine your provider saying, “I already consulted with a Mayo Clinic specialist. This is the care plan they would follow too.”

Without ever leaving your hometown health system or provider—and without incurring any additional cost—that kind of reassurance is priceless.

Two years ago, we took that bold step for our community so moments like that first diagnosis wouldn’t feel like such a long journey ahead. Memorial Health System became the very first health system in the region to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network (MCCN). This membership means our health system met Mayo Clinic’s rigorous standards of quality, safety, and patient care—allowing every team member to connect directly with Mayo Clinic experts, research, and best practices.

“Traditionally, hospitals worldwide are extremely siloed in sharing opportunities for improvement and successes,” says Jennifer Meek, MSN, RN, Director of Quality, Patient Safety, and Infection Prevention. “Everyone just takes care of themselves, and when things are improved, the industry doesn’t typically share it. With Mayo Clinic, they share everything with us.”

Jennifer, who manages the health system’s membership in the MCCN, shared the following:

Picture our provider with a direct line to a Mayo Clinic expert. That’s what an eConsult is—a secure, provider-to-provider consultation system designed to give patients answers or confirmation quickly. In the first five months after joining the MCCN, our providers submitted 83 eConsults. By the end of 2024, that number had grown to 272. Through August 2025, we’ve already reached 181—with more expected before the year’s end.

Behind the scenes, your care team is never alone. AskMayoExpert (AME), Mayo’s continually updated online reference tool, is accessed hundreds of times each month by our care teams to guide treatment plans across the health system’s most complex specialties—such as cardiology, oncology, women’s health, infectious disease, and more.

Health Care Consulting, focused project assistance provided by Mayo Clinic, has supported everything from sepsis protocols and surgical best practices to leadership development and palliative care growth.

These resources mean that patients receive the benefit of a Mayo Clinic second opinion without ever having to leave their community. Complex cases in oncology, cardiology, neurology, women’s health, and many others are reviewed in real time.

No matter the outcome—new guidance or confirmation—you get the same result: faster, evidence-based decisions and fewer unnecessary changes to your care.

Kelli Cawley, MD, Medical Oncologist, utilizes Mayo Clinic Care Network resources multiple times each month. “The collaboration with the Mayo Clinic and Memorial Health System has been immensely helpful in care for not only our oncology patients, but hematology patients as well, in getting superb tertiary center treatment recommendations for them without having to travel great distances,” she shares.

Two years in, our promise is only growing. Every eConsult, every AskMayoExpert search, and every project supported through Mayo Clinic means more neighbors receiving world-class expertise close to home—with confidence at every step.

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  Letter From the CEO: Caring For Our Community, Season After Season

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  Progress in Motion at Our Women and Children’s Hospital

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  Breaking Ground on Sistersville General Hospital

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  Funding Vital Therapy Equipment: Judy Heinrich’s Story

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  Gather ’Round for Good Health