Hello and welcome to your appointment in Mayo Clinic's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. My name is Dr. Laura Raffals and on behalf of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology team I'd like to thank you for choosing Mayo Clinic for your care. I'd like to take a moment to share with you a few things about your consultation and care team.
In Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and at Mayo Clinic, we practice medicine as a team. Our provider team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, fellows and residents. Throughout your time at Mayo Clinic, you may meet with various members of this team, but all care plans are reviewed by the physician who's leading your care team. Our entire team is invested in your care and wants this to be a successful visit for you. Please know that sometimes we'll need the input of other specialists; we will coordinate these appointments and as timely a fashion as possible, and hopefully within the timeframe of your stay here in Rochester. Please be aware, however, that some specialty appointments may need you to return at a later time.
At Mayo Clinic, we practice consultative medicine. This means that our goal is to meet with you to learn about your individual needs and concerns, work very hard to address these needs while you're here, and then develop a care plan for you and your local provider to follow long term. As consultative providers we are not a replacement for your local primary care provider or gastroenterology and hepatology provider at home. If you do not have a provider at home, let us know and we will do our best to connect you with one.
We want to meet and exceed your expectations and needs today. To help us to achieve this, I encourage you to share with your provider the goals of your appointment. Tell them specifically what brought you to Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and what you're hoping to get during your appointment in GI.
The last thing I want to tell you about today is Patient Online Services. This is Mayo Clinic's patient portal, and we encourage you to sign up for a portal account. It provides an easy, convenient way to contact your care team at Mayo Clinic and gives you instant access to valuable information such as test results, appointment schedules, and notes from your care team. As you leave your appointment today, the staff at the desk can help you set up an account.
If you have any other questions or concerns during your visit to Mayo Clinic, please let us know — and thank you again for choosing Mayo Clinic for your care.