"Accomplishing the impossible, far from home"

Recently a member who lives in Europe and had undergone colon cancer surgery in Paris six and a half years ago, was on vacation in Boston visiting his son, when he began to spit up blood. Emergency testing led to a lung biopsy and a confirmation of the presence of cancerous cells. The head of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute agreed to see him on Wednesday August 6th, but only if he could have his earlier surgical records by Monday, August 4th.

PinnacleCare was able to help a family facing a serious health problem far from home navigate a very complex, emergency issue by connecting them with top medical specialists and providing comprehensive support for all members of the family.

Enter PinnacleCare. At 6:30 p.m., our medical team had a conference call with the member’s son and emphasized the value we could bring to this emergent issue. We made personal contact with the son of the French physician who had performed the surgery six years ago and were able to get the records directly from the physician. By 9:00 a.m. we were in receipt of the records, translated into English from French.

Next we arranged for a translator, since the member and his family spoke no English. The member’s Wednesday consultation at Dana Farber led to a plan to treat metastatic colon cancer every two weeks for the next six weeks in Boston.

Intense stress brought on by her husband’s illness exacerbated concern about the member’s wife’s long-standing heart condition. We arranged for her to be seen by a renowned specialist and member of the PinnacleCare Medical Advisory Board within three business days. An adjustment to her medication levels and the reassurance that she was fine brought both husband and wife to tears of relief.

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