The “Multi-D” Clinic
From the Radiology Department Newsletter, Editor: Mary McAllister

From left: Dr. Jeff Geschwind; Dr. Timothy Pawlik; Dr. Michael Choti; and Dr. Luis Diaz.

Members of the Department of Radiology faculty are engaged in an exciting new adventure in patient care.  The Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic, called the “Multi-D” by those who work there, is a new concept in the diagnosis and treatment of liver tumors.

Dr. Timothy Pawlik, Associate Professor of Surgery/Oncology and Director of the Hepatobiliary Surgery Program, founded the clinic with Dr. Jeff Geschwind of Interventional Radiology, and now serves as the Director of the Multidisciplinary Clinic.

“It was inconvenient and inefficient for these patients to come to Hopkins and have to see multiple physicians in various departments,” Dr. Pawlik explains.  “The logistics were bad for the patients and bad for the physicians.  We wanted to create a single portal of entry for the patient.”

Dr. Jeff Geschwind agrees.  “Medicine is no longer separated by department, but rather, it is disease-oriented and multidisciplinary,” he explains. 

Together, they spearheaded the effort to establish a place where patients could be seen by all the relevant specialists, in one day, and where specialists could convene to determine the best course of treatment for the patient.

They hired a coordinator, Suzanne Smallwood-Massey, to handle the coordination of specialists, scans, and tests that patients would need.  “The coordinator is our patient navigator,” he explains. “She not only sets appointments with all the different specialists, but also helps in collecting previous patient records from other sites and in determining which insurance is necessary for the patient to be seen here.”

The group set an ambitious goal of having a potential patient seen within one week of the patient’s initial call to the clinic, and putting together a treatment plan within 24 hours of seeing the patient.

“All of us, from Surgery, Medical Oncology, Hepatology, and Interventional Radiology discuss together the best course for the individual patient,” Dr.  Pawlik explains. “This enables us to see more patients, not less, and provide them with more information and access to possible clinical trials,” Dr. Geschwind adds. 

“The challenge is to get the word out,” emphasized Dr. Pawlik.  To do that, the Multi-D Clinic has established a website for patients (www.hopkinsmedicine.org/devliver_tumor_center), has distributed brochures, and has sponsored events for referring physicians. 

Although funding is always a challenge, the Department of Surgery and several other departments have invested in the clinic. 

“With the extensive involvement of many departments, and about 25 physicians, we can help many people with our collective expertise,” said Dr. Pawlik. 

“This is truly one-stop shopping for the patient, and results in a consensus treatment plan that can be implemented much faster than usual, which meets the Hopkins goal of ever-better patient care,” he says.

The Liver Clinic can be reached by phone at 877-liver99, or by e-mail at hopkinslivercenter@jhmi.edu.