Searching for Medical Oncologist

[Ran2599dy]

Looking for a MO who specializes in prostate cancer in the Saint Paul, Minnesota area.

Thanks

Randy

[Ran2599dy]

Thanks

[cfrees1]

Hey Randy,

I'm in Minneapolis. We are in luck that the new Director of Oncology at the U is a research leader in PCa. Dr. Charles Ryan. You can search for videos of him on YouTube. He is not seeing patients yet (he's that new), but plans to begin in September and I plan to be right there when he does.

Chuck

[cfrees1 in reply to cfrees1]

He was formerly at UCSF.

[Ran2599dy in reply to cfrees1]

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to cfrees1]

Charles Ryan!

[Litlerny]

Hi Randy,

As usual, I agree with Nal. I’m sure the U of M hospital is much more convenient for you, but I would also check out the Mayo Clinic in Rochester before you decide. While it is extremely important to get hooked up with a medical oncologist who’s specialty is is PCa, be sure you analyze the all aspects of the potential treatment source from primary treatment right down to the billing department.

My brother went to U of M for liver issues and kidney failure. He liked his individual primary doctors there in both specialties, but was appalled at the lack of coordination between departments, and just the general “vibe” of their system, their facilities, and the level of quality of the ancillary staff and how they treat their patients.

I live 35 miles NW of Orlando. Stage 4 oligometastatic PCa at diagnosis in June, 2015. Our local treatment care ioptions are almost nonexistent, even though there is a small cancer center right outside the gate of our community. Orlando isn’t much better. I had the option of going to either the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa (90 miles) or the Mayo Clinic in Jax (140 miles). After checking both of them out, I chose the Mayo in Jax in spite of the logistics. Glad I did. My MO there is great. The ancillary staff is all very proficient and friendly. The facilities are great and equipment up to date. In fact, they are currently building a new facility on campus devoted solely to cancer treatment. I understand it will include a C-11 PET scanner, and new radiation equipment. which they already have at the Rochester and Scottsdale facilities. Their system is efficient, like a well oiled machine. All doctors and relevant support staff have instant access to all of your treatment records, and their coordination of treatment is seamless and efficient. Example: When interdisciplinary care might be needed, my doctor just gets on the phone and contacts the other doctor (in my case a radiation oncologist). They are both looking at the same scans and records from my patient portal as they talk, and together they take action to resolve the issue while I am still sitting there in my MO’s office, not weeks later. They have a great patient portal. They have a system of 3 hospitals whose doctors have the ability interact with each other on their cases. My wife is also a patient there for treatment of oral cancer (and she does public speaking for a living) which is now in full remission and hopefully cured. Her lead doctor is the chair of the ENT Dept and is amazing not just from a medical/technical standpoint, but he is very caring and supportive. I know this sounds like an ad for the Mayo, but we are both very happy with our care there, the results they have obtained for both of us, and gives us confidence in them to give us the best treatment possible and optimism that we will have the most favorable outcomes possible.

Whew! Long winded, I know, but at least contact them to check them out.

Mark

[Ran2599dy in reply to Litlerny]

Thanks

[Grumpyswife in reply to Litlerny]

Interesting what you say about Mayo when I am reading an article dated 5/6/2018 saying Mayois just getting into the Epic record system launching a massive overhaul. The Univ If MN Fairview has had the Epic system for years which is Mychart.

I am not sure of Medicare coverage at the Mayo facilities. Does anyone know?

[Litlerny in reply to Grumpyswife]

Thanks for the info on Epic. I was not aware of the Epic system until you mentioned it. It sounds like they are phasing it in first in Eau Claire, then to other WI Mayo facilities, and Rochester first...I haven’t seen anything yet about the target date for them going live with the conversion to Epic in FL or AZ. From what I just read on it, there is a learning curve, and it is an expansive and complicated system, but it will eventually be a vast improvement in coordination of patient care records in all Mayo facilities.

I could be totally wrong about this, but I think the Mayo Clinics in AZ and FL are nonparticipating, at least for Part B, and do not accept Medicare assignment, and that Medicare covers 85% of the amount Mayo charges.. For me, Blue Cross (my secondary payer) picks up most of the balance due. It’s a little crazy, because some of the doctors and technicians within the Mayo system do accept assignment.

[Hidden in reply to Litlerny]

That 85% business is what concerns me about Mayo. Don't know how much, if any, United Healthcare Supplemental Plan F picks up of that. I suppose I should make some calls. There is a Mayo presence here in the Phoenix Metro area.

[Grumpyswife]

I don’t understand why Mayo isn’t using the Axumin scan. They always seem behind. When we sought to get into a study at Mayo they referred us back to U of M.

[Ran2599dy in reply to Grumpyswife]

Thanks

[jdm3 in reply to Grumpyswife]

They are anchored to the C-11 PET because it was pioneered at Mayo. I asked Dr. Kwon about this personally when I was checking out Mayo and he claimed the Axumin and PSMA scans are not any better and that comparative studies were misguided and biased.

[Hidden in reply to Grumpyswife]

Mayo is also not on board with HIFU surgery for prostate cancer. Not invented here syndrome?

[cfrees1]

I got the Axumin scan at the U. I have to disagree with the commentor above. I have found the U to be extremely friendly, MyCharts has been a great way to communicate with my care team and their new Clinic is top notch. Mayo certainly has a name, but since I still am working, the need to take off of work to drive down to Rochester doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. My Urologist, Dr. Konety, also came from UCSF. So is widely regarded. I am very happy with my team so far. When I was getting my radiation treatments, I never took off work. I just left a little early each day for 8 weeks and drove 15 minutes for treatment. There is value to the location for me.