Timeless Care and Teamwork

Hollis and her family were well aware of Mayo Clinic's breast cancer expertise when they first arrived. A few years earlier, Mayo Clinic researchers made national news for a treatment breakthrough for HER2-positive breast cancer, which is Hollis' form of cancer. Hollis and her family still rely steadfastly on that expertise, but they also appreciate the difference that comes from the Mayo Clinic Model of Care, which benefactors are supporting and bolstering through endowment gifts. For Hollis' father, nothing compares to the scene he witnessed during her cardiac arrest.

"It was our first experience at Mayo Clinic, and it was unbelievable," says Pete. "It was the most organized chaos I've ever seen. Every Father's Day, I send a message to the critical care team to thank them because I have another day with my daughter."

For her physicians, the Mayo Clinic Model of Care contributes in ways both obvious and less obvious to the care of patients. John E. Moss, M.D., the critical care physician who led the team that day says, "The decision to continue CPR for 45 minutes was a judgment call. But I think our Model of Care gives us extra resources and more confidence to make decisions like that." And for Dr. Moreno Aspitia, teamwork — plus time — is the foundation for every decision he makes with patients. "Hollis is not 'my' patient," he says. "She's our patient, and we develop a treatment plan, together, with her. That takes time, but it's the best way to care for patients, especially someone with complex disease like Hollis has."