How did the Colombian International Hospital join the world's most demanding medical network? This is what its director reveals.

For the first time in history, a Colombian hospital was accepted into the prestigious Mayo Clinic network, one of the most renowned medical institutions in the world.

This is the International Hospital of Colombia (HIC), located in Piedecuesta, Santander, which after a rigorous evaluation process of more than 16 months managed to become part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

In an interview with EL TIEMPO, Dr. Víctor Castillo, director of HIC, explains what this achievement means for the institution, what benefits it will bring to patients, and how this partnership will transform medical care and academic training in the country.

For us, it's truly a great satisfaction, but also a great challenge and a huge commitment. This process with the Mayo Clinic was very interesting because they chose us. And according to what Dr. José Solís, the director for the Americas, told us, they conducted research and analyzed many hospitals in Latin America. As part of this analysis, they chose the Cardiovascular Foundation, the International Hospital, which is the commercial name of the foundation's hospital.

About 18 months ago, at a forum in Bogotá, Dr. Solís—whom I'd known for a while—approached me and said, "I've just been approved for a project for Latin America. Would you like to participate?" I thought it was a research study or something. I said, "Sure, I'd be happy to." He replied, "Would you like to see me in your office next week?" I said, "Yes, I'd be happy to." He came back three or four days later and explained that they wanted to have a partner hospital in South America, part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. He told us that, after much analysis, they had decided that the International Hospital of Colombia was the best option. That we had many similarities. Obviously, we said yes; it was an honor and a source of pride. That began a process that lasted from March or April of last year until June 27, when we officially launched the project with Mayo Clinic.

The Mayo Clinic's due diligence process is complex and lengthy. In order to sign the agreement, they reviewed and explored all institutional areas: scientific, economic, legal, academic, healthcare, and teaching. There were many points to evaluate in each of these aspects.

One of the most important issues was governance: how the institution was structured, whether it had a legal background, whether it was truly nonprofit, etc. They also reviewed whether we had any legal issues. It was a very rigorous evaluation. Finally, after meeting all the requirements, it was approved by the Mayo Clinic Board. At that point, the negotiation phase began: how we would participate, how we would affiliate. Once we were legally and financially aligned, and with the lawyers, they gave us the green light, and we were able to start using the Mayo Clinic Network logo alongside our own.

It lasted 16 months from the start of the evaluations. The most challenging aspect was undoubtedly governance. The Mayo Clinic doesn't want to associate its name with organizations that have problems. The medical aspect was also key. We have international accreditations like the Joint Commission International, and they came to reaccredit us during the process. That was very intense, but it also helped us strengthen everything.

The first thing is that we now have an immense commitment. If we're not successful, the worst that can happen is that our membership is revoked. In other words, we go from anonymity to the risk of discredit. That's why we have to meet extremely high standards of continuous improvement.

The Mayo Clinic shares all its knowledge with us: processes, algorithms, protocols. But it's not just about copying. It involves collaborative work. For example, we're going to start with breast cancer. We're a center of excellence in that field. We'll review all processes so that our patients are treated exactly as they would at the Mayo Clinic. What does that mean? That a patient who arrives with suspected breast cancer can have all the tests completed in three days and begin treatment on the fourth day. In Colombia, that process usually takes between two and three months. The difference for the patient is enormous.

And it's not just in oncology. We're going to apply this model to heart attacks, cardiology, neurology, etc. Furthermore, we're already certified by the Ministry of Health in Functional Units for Cancer Management, which perfectly complements this work.

Yes and no. It's not that every patient can request a second opinion directly, but we will have so-called tumor boards. Complex cases are presented on them, and these spaces are connected to all the hospitals in the Mayo Clinic network—including its three own hospitals. Simple cases are already protocolized and don't require discussion: the defined steps are followed, such as mammography, ultrasound, biopsy, etc. But complex cases will be discussed with the entire network. This will mean faster diagnoses and better decisions for patients.

Absolutely. The goal is to reduce the time from suspicion to initiation of treatment from weeks or months to days. That saves lives. But it also means redesigning contracts with insurance companies so that patients don't have to wait for authorizations. We have to adapt our healthcare system so that this model works well. That's not up to Mayo, but it is our responsibility.

The Oriental Foundation FSB is our university. We started this month with five residency programs. In three or four years, we hope to have between 45 and 50 academic programs. The International Hospital and our cardiovascular center are accredited by the Ministries of Health and Education. Being part of the Mayo Clinic network will allow us to share this knowledge with students, residents, and medical interns. In this way, we will improve healthcare in Colombia through education, not only in oncology and cardiology, but also in preventive medicine, neurology, urology, and so on.

We're going to start with oncology and cardiovascular medicine, but the goal is to gradually expand to neurology, urology, gastroenterology, and many more. We don't do everything at once, because that would be chaotic. We want to do it right, step by step, ensuring the best results.

Every day. There's a strategic medical and nursing team in constant contact with the Mayo Clinic. We travel to learn, and they'll also come to evaluate us, teach us, and help us implement processes. It's a constant exchange.

Fundamental. Ninety percent of the patients Mayo serves are not physically hospitalized: they are treated at home with home hospitalization. We also have a strong foundation in telemedicine, but now we're going to strengthen it even further. This will improve care, reduce costs, and increase coverage. We want to bring this knowledge to the communities of Colombia.

Of course. This raises standards, motivates our doctors, and stimulates research and continuing education. It's a virtuous cycle.

Colombia faces major healthcare challenges. We decided not to be paralyzed by the crisis. I told my team that we couldn't talk about a crisis, but rather about opportunities. That the responsibility for dealing with the political and financial aspects would fall on the president and vice presidents. But the construction had to continue. In the last three years, we've made tremendous progress: digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and now this: becoming part of the Mayo Clinic Network. All of this has happened in the midst of what they call the biggest crisis in the healthcare system.