Mayo Clinic, the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world, opened its first international representative office in China on June 22, providing Chinese patients with the opportunity to have better access to world-class health services.

By teaming up with United Family Healthcare, the office in Shanghai is able to develop pathways to refer local patients to Mayo sites in the United States.

United Family Healthcare also announced that it will establish an international medical center to offer integrated international care and coordination for patients from home and abroad.

"The cooperation with Mayo is an innovative medical collaboration, as medical experts from both China and the US are deeply involved in the medical decision-making process by sharing medical records, doing remote medical consultation, offering experts' discussion and making medical solution together," said Carl Wu, CEO of United Family Healthcare.

"We can help patients who are looking for high-end medical care to receive health consultation and service from the most appropriate experts in Mayo, arrange medical treatment in Mayo, give post-treatment care and organize follow-up consultation," said Wu.

The international medical center will also help expat patients to receive consultation and treatment from Chinese experts, as China is also home to many new medicines, innovative technologies, and skillful doctors, he said.

Apart from benefiting patients, the cooperation between Mayo and United Family is expected to greatly boost academic exchanges, talent training and joint medical research between China and the US, said the two parties.

The first patient healthcare conference organized by United Family Healthcare and Mayo Clinic was launched on Saturday with participation of top experts on thoracic cancer, breast cancer and hematologic cancer from China and the US.