Rochester
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit medical practice and medical research group based in Rochester, Minnesota. It is the first and largest integrated nonprofit medical group practice in the world, employing more than 3,800 physicians and scientists and 50,900 allied health staff. The practice specializes in treating difficult cases through tertiary care. It spends over $500 million a year on research.
Dr. William Worrall Mayo settled his family in Rochester in 1864 and opened a
medical practice that evolved under his sons into Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic is
widely regarded as one of the world's greatest hospitals and ranked No. 1 on the
2014-2015 U.S. News & World Report List of "Best Hospitals", maintaining a
position near the top for more than 20 years. It has been on the list of
America's "100 Best Companies to Work For" published by Fortune magazine for
eight years in a row.
In 1863, William Worrall Mayo (1819–1911) came to Rochester, Minnesota as part
of his appointment as an examining surgeon for the military draft board during
the American Civil War. The city was to his liking, and his wife and children
joined him in early 1864. William Worrall Mayo opened his medical practice after
the war, and served in several leadership roles in the community. Both of W.W.
Mayo's sons, William James Mayo (1861–1939) and Charles Horace Mayo (1865–1939)
grew up in Rochester, and when old enough both attended medical school. William
(Will) graduated in 1883 and joined his father's practice, with Charles
(Charlie) joining after he completed his training in 1888.
On August 21, 1883, a tornado struck Rochester, causing at least 37 deaths in
the area and over 200 injuries. One-third of the town was destroyed, but the
Mayo family escaped serious harm. The relief efforts began immediately with a
temporary hospital being established at the city dance hall, and the doctors
Mayo (W.W. and Will) as well as other local doctors, were extensively involved
in treating the injured who were brought there for help. Mother Alfred Moes and
the Sisters of Saint Francis (a teaching order) were called in to act as nurses
despite having been trained as teachers and with little if any medical
experience.
After the crisis subsided, Mother Alfred Moes approached W.W. Mayo about
establishing a hospital in Rochester, and Dr. Mayo agreed to work in the
hospital, and soon others local doctors agreed to work in the hospital as well.
On September 30, 1889, Saint Marys Hospital was opened by the Sisters. Dr. W.W.
Mayo, 70 years old, was one of the consulting physicians at the hospital. His
two sons began seeing patients and performing surgeries at the hospital when
they returned from medical school in the 1880s
Text from Wikipedia
