Coordinated Specialty Care Helps Patients Get Answers Faster
Photo: Dr. Sam Evans, left, of Sturdy Health Pulmonary Medicine discusses a patient with Dr. Ross Pollack of Sturdy Health Cardiology. Team members from the two specialty practices, along with several other specialties, are working side by side in the new state-of-the-art Cancer & Specialty Care Building, connected to the hospital by a climate-controlled skybridge. After the October 2025 opening, Sturdy Health teams immediately noticed the efficiencies of working together on the hospital campus.
In healthcare, timing and teamwork can make all the difference. That belief guided Sturdy Health’s investment in the state of the art Cancer & Specialty Care Building, where outpatient specialty services are now centralized on the hospital campus. While the advanced facility itself is impressive, the real impact comes from something much simpler: bringing people closer together.
By placing specialists under one roof, Sturdy Health has created a powerful model of coordinated care. Physicians who once practiced across town now collaborate in real time, accelerating diagnoses, streamlining care transitions, and improving outcomes for patients.
Pulmonologist Dr. Samuel Evans and cardiologist Dr. Ross Pollack have seen those benefits firsthand.
“Cases that we see in cardiology can often overlap with pulmonary care,” said Dr. Pollack. “When a patient comes in with symptoms like shortness of breath or fatigue, it is not always immediately obvious whether the issue stems from the heart, the lungs, or both. Being in the same building makes it easier to treat the patient together when it matters most.”
Dr. Evans recalled a recent patient visit that highlighted just how transformative this proximity can be. During an exam for a lung concern, he noticed an abnormal heart rhythm.
“In the old setup, a patient presenting with those symptoms might have been sent to the Emergency Department to get an EKG, if it took less time than coordinating with cardiology,” said Dr. Evans. “Instead, I walked downstairs, talked with Dr. Pollack, and we were able to get him evaluated right away. The building makes that kind of coordination so much easier.”
Within 24 hours, the patient completed all necessary testing, met with Dr. Pollack, and began medication. “What previously might have taken far longer happened over a day or two,” Dr. Pollack said.
This type of collaboration has quickly become routine. Cardiology and pulmonology teams now share equipment when standard diagnostics fall short, jointly review imaging, and consult on complex cases. Procedures such as transesophageal echocardiograms can be safely performed through close coordination with anesthesiology, further reducing delays and improving the patient experience.
The expanded space has also allowed Sturdy Health to grow its outpatient services, including the addition of four new cardiologists from leading academic medical centers. This expansion means shorter wait times, greater access to care, and a broader range of expertise for patients across the region.
“Sturdy Health has invested in the people and the space to make this possible,” Dr. Evans said. “It has changed the rhythm of how we work and patients will continue to benefit from that.”
Today, specialists from cardiology, pulmonology, and other disciplines work side by side in the Cancer & Specialty Care Building, connected to the hospital by a climate controlled skybridge. Since opening in October 2025, teams have already seen how collaboration on campus leads to faster answers and better care.
To learn more about how Sturdy Health is transforming care for our community, explore our 2025 Annual Impact Report.
