Multi-Specialty Clinics

Highlands Oncology is a multidisciplinary practice, with multiple specialists. The treatment of cancer and blood disorders is complex and requires multidisciplinary involvement.

MULTISPECIALTY PHOTO

A multi-specialty approach to healthcare is a comprehensive approach to a patient’s care that involves more than one specialty physician. In a multidisciplinary setting, physicians of different specialties come together to diagnose and treat patients.  Having multiple specialty physicians in one place at one time allows them to collaborate real-time and develop comprehensive, personalized patient plans.

 

Patients seen in the multi-specialty setting benefit from the expertise of all specialists even if they are not see by all of them.  This is due to multi-specialty conferences where physicians discuss each patient’s case and collaborate on the best plan for each patient.  This expedites accurate diagnosis and treatment plans.

Two doctors collaborating at a computer.

Multi-Specialty practices are important in the oncology setting because of the complexity and urgency of a patient’s case. Highlands Oncology is committed to providing the best care in the timeliest manner to ensure our patients receive the proper treatment for their individual diagnosis.

NWA Multi-Specialty Clinics

The Center For Chest Care

Breast Conference/Program

CARE Clinic (Cancer Assessment and Risk Education)

Head & Neck Conference & Clinic

Gastrointestinal Conference

Genitourinary Conference

Pancreatic Conference

Neuro-Conference

Traditional Patient Care

  • Patient referred to multiple doctors
  • Extended wait time between referrals
  • Patient must travel to multiple locations
  • Each specialty ordering a set of tests
  • Emotional distress for patient while diagnosis is unknown

Multi-Specialty Approach to Cancer Care

The Chest Clinic was the very first multi specialty clinic at Highlands.

  • Referred to one clinic
  • Patient can see up to four specialists in one visit, if needed
  • Case is reviewed by 6+ specialties during conference, even if patient only seen by one doctor
  • Patient navigator to guide patient through process
  • Significantly decreases patient wait time from known abnormality to diagnosis and treatment plan

Oncology

Pulmonology

Surgeon(s)

Radiation

Palliative care

Pathology

Patient navigators

Program manager

Radiology

Learn more about Multi-Disciplinary in action:

Advantages of Multidisciplinary Care in a Single Clinic Setting

  • “One stop shopping” eliminates multiple visits to multiple specialists at multiple sites over multiple days.

  • Offers a carefully thought out plan for diagnosis, accurate staging and treatment recommendations from specialists who have chosen to focus on thoracic cancer in a shortened time frame.

  • All treatment options presented including easy access for patients to clinical trials.

Highlands hosts multiple conferences each week, bringing together “all the doctors” to review challenging cases, almost in real time.