Oncology team applies expertise to improve patient care
July 15, 2026
Chandandeep Singh, MD
As NKC Health Medical Oncology & Hematology continues to grow, leaders are turning to Mayo Clinic to refine operations and improve the patient experience.
Through the Mayo Clinic Care Network's Healthcare Consulting program, NKC Health Medical Oncology and Hematology leaders recently met with Mayo Clinic experts to compare best practices for infusion scheduling, pharmacy workflows and treatment processes. The discussions focused on a shared goal: delivering chemotherapy safely and efficiently while making the best use of limited infusion capacity.
“One of our biggest goals is making sure we're using our time and space as efficiently as possible,” said Tiffany Mason, senior director of Oncology at NKC Health.
The consultation brought together nursing, pharmacy and operational leaders from both organizations to review everything from chemotherapy scheduling and medication preparation to laboratory workflows and physician clearance.
Improving infusion efficiency
One change already underway is with a key workflow process. Now oncology infusion nurses can activate chemotherapy orders when patients meet physician-approved laboratory parameters. The process enables pharmacy to begin preparing medications sooner while allowing nurses to spend more time on direct patient care.
“Giving nurses that autonomy has been a real time saver,” Tiffany said. “If patients meet the physician's established parameters, we can move their treatment forward more quickly while still involving the physician anytime there's a question.”
The discussions also prompted changes in scheduling flexibility. Physicians approved a standardized plus-or-minus one-day scheduling window for many chemotherapy regimens, giving schedulers greater flexibility to manage infusion chair availability without affecting patient care.
“That flexibility helps both our scheduling team and our patients,” said Chandandeep Singh, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist with NKC Health Medical Oncology & Hematology. “It reduces scheduling conflicts around holidays and allows for travel time while maintaining our highest priority, which is delivering treatment safely.”
NKC Health Medical Oncology & Hematology leaders also are encouraging eligible patients who live nearby to complete laboratory testing the day before treatment. That change reduces delays on infusion day by allowing pharmacy to begin preparing medications earlier and shortening the time patients spend waiting before treatment begins.
“Patients can wait close to two hours before their infusion even starts,” Tiffany said. “Moving lab work to the day before helps eliminate much of that wait and creates a better patient experience.”
Using technology to optimize options
The consultation also reinforced NKC Health's decision to implement LeanTaaS scheduling software, which uses artificial intelligence to balance appointment volumes throughout the day and week.
“It's reassuring to know we're using many of the same approaches Mayo Clinic is using,” Tiffany said. “Every consultation confirms we're on the right track while giving us ideas to continue fine-tuning our processes.”
Heather Wilcox, PharmD, MBA, BCSCP, pharmacy coordinator, said the conversations demonstrated that even nationally recognized cancer programs face many of the same operational challenges.
“We found that many of our pain points were the same,” Heather said. “The discussion validated the work we've already done and gave us additional ideas for improving patient flow and reducing bottlenecks throughout the infusion process.”
Strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration
Beyond operational improvements, the Mayo Clinic Care Network also strengthens collaboration across the NKC Health Medical Oncology & Hematology multidisciplinary care team.
“We have a very good team, and communication is the biggest reason why,” Dr. Singh said. “Our surgeons, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, palliative care specialists and medical oncologists regularly discuss complex cases together, which helps us provide the best possible care for our patients.”
The collaboration with Mayo Clinic experts provides additional confidence for those complex cancer cases.
“For patients,” Heather said, “there’s the reassurance that their care team can easily collaborate with nationally recognized oncology specialists while they continue receiving care close to home.”
