July 22, 2011

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Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and St. Cloud Hospital partnering to keep care closer to home for kids

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – For more than 10 years, St. Cloud Hospital and Children’s have worked together to provide Pediatric Cancer and Hematology Services in St. Cloud. This expanded partnership allows both organizations to build upon the success of this collaborative care model. Already the partnership has helped St. Cloud Hospital form a Pediatric Sedation Program this past spring, and talks are underway to expand the relationship into the neurosciences as well as other clinical areas within the next year.

More children in Central Minnesota needing pediatric specialty care for cancer and blood disorders will now be able to stay closer to home through the expanded partnership between St. Cloud Hospital and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

The partnership will keep children closer to their family, doctor and home when possible, and provide a continuum of care to Children’s Minneapolis campus when specialized care is required. The partnership gives St. Cloud Hospital expanded access to Children’s treatment guidelines, protocols and recommendations. Oncologists and hematologists from Children’s will also be more available at St. Cloud Hospital, scheduling outpatient visits several days each month.

“This partnership with Children’s expands upon an already established relationship to strengthen St. Cloud Hospital as a referral center of excellence for pediatric services,” said Penny Beattie, BSN, MBA, care center director Women and Children's Center at St. Cloud Hospital. “By co-managing care at the site that is most appropriate for treatment and for patients and their families, we can improve the lives of sick children and drive better outcomes.”

“This partnership is important as it allows us to meet the growing and evolving medical needs of communities throughout Central Minnesota,” said Phil Kibort, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. “Improving access to high quality, family-centered care for kids fighting cancer and blood disorders is only a starting point.”

Both hospitals have Magnet designation and just last month Children’s Hospital was again recognized as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country for cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, pulmonology and neonatology by U.S. News & World Report.

Learn more about Pediatric Services at St. Cloud Hospital

Learn more about Children's Hospitals and Clinics

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