Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings April 2014, Volume 27, Number 2 | Page 98

also positions the clinic to continue to lead well into the 21st
century.
The mid-19th century educational background of Dr. W. W.
was unique in that although not from a privileged background,
he studied Latin and Greek, was a student of the physicist and
chemist John Dalton (an early contributor to atomic theory and
the medical description of color-blindness), attended college,
and achieved two medical degrees. A strong advocate for lifetime
learning, he was, as his eldest son, Dr. Will, eulogized him, “a
man of hope and forward-looking mind.” Among the oldest
patient records is a ledger that Dr. W. W. used. His handwritten
entry on January 8, 1866, “Left open for further thought and
research,” shows how he continually sought out new medical
advances and was never satisfied with the status quo.
Dr. W. W.’s partnership with his two sons grew to become
the first—and today, the largest—integrated, not-for-profit,
private, multispecialty medical practice in the world. The values
of Mayo Clinic are particularly informed by Rochester Franciscans, a Catholic order founded by Maria Alfred Moes (“Mother
Alfred,” 1828–1899) in Rochester, whose magnificent motherhouse, Assisi Heights, is slightly more than a mile from Mayo
Clinic facilities. The Franciscans and the Mayos became partners
in healing in response to a tornado that devastated Rochester
in 1883. From this collaboration, Mother Alfred proposed that
the sisters would fund construction of a hospital and serve as
nurses if Dr. W. W. and his sons would provide surgical and
medical care. As a result, St. Marys Hospital opened in 1889
and was an early adopter of Listerian aseptic and antiseptic
principles. In addition to the Catholic values of the Franciscans
and the scientific-humanistic values of the Protestant Mayo
family, many cultures and traditions have contributed to the
ethos of Mayo Clinic.
How has the Mayo Clinic become so successful? The core or
primary value of Mayo Clinic is that “the needs of the patient
come first.” Generations of practitioners at Mayo Clinic have
upheld this value. Strict adherence to this ethic affords daily
purpose and meaning to the organization and its contributors. Such an environment, built over 150 years and focused
on the welfare of t he patient, has led to an ingrained commitment to excellence and ongoing continuous improvement
for all activities that constitute the Mayo Clinic’s approach to
medical care. The unwavering commitment to the patient also
is complemented by the discovery of new information and the
translation and adaption of those discoveries to advance clinical care (Table). Innovations in education also help inform all
appropriate parties of new information, again with a focus on
improving clinical care. The triple shield logo of Mayo Clinic—
clinical care, education, and research—that is liberally displayed
around Mayo Clinic campuses and other venues is an ongoing
reminder of the philosophy and focus of the institution.
In 1919, the Mayo brothers and their wives signed a deed
of gift donating most of their life savings and all of their assets
in the Rochester medical practice (including land, buildings,
and equipment) to an entity, the Mayo Properties Association,
which would ensure the perpetuation of Mayo Clinic beyond
the lifetimes of its founders. This gift from the Mayos, the
172

Table. Highlights of Mayo Clinic’s many contributions to medicine∗
• Intraoperative diagnosis using frozen sections of tissue specimens
• The world’s first program in postgraduate medical education
• Reliable laboratory procedures for determining basal metabolic rate
• Broders index for tumor staging
• Goeckerman treatment for psoriasis
• The nation’s first hospital-based blood bank
• Introduction of the postanesthesia recovery room to civilian hospitals
• Advocacy for the nutritional enrichment of flour
• The high-altitude oxygen mask and G-suit
• The pioneering use of streptomycin to treat tuberculosis
• The discovery and clinical application of cortisone (for which the
investigators won the 1950 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
• The first successful series of open heart surgical procedures using the
heart-lung bypass machine
• Early development of the intensive care unit
• Early development of the radial nursing unit
• The Rochester/Olmsted County Epidemiology Project
• The first Food and Drug Administration–approved artificial hip joint replacement
• Introduction of computed tomography to North America
• Test for rapid diagnosis of anthrax poisoning following the September 11,
2001, terrorist attacks
∗Reprinted

with permission from Olsen KD, Dacy MD, 2014 (13).

equivalent of more than $100 million today, was accompanied
by a statement that the ultimate success of Mayo Clinic, “past,
present and future, must be measured largely by its contributions to the general good of humanity.”
Teamwork has been a major emphasis since the beginning of
the Mayo Clinic. Dr. W. W. stated, “No man is big enough to be
independent of others.” The Mayo brothers always spoke of their
accomplishments in terms of “My brother and I.” They encouraged medical subspecialization, and Mayo Clinic contributed to
the establishment of many disciplines, including orthopedics,
neurology, dermatology, thoracic surgery, anesthesiology, and
pediatrics, yet the integrated team-oriented practice was always
essential to Mayo Clinic’s success.
Quality has been at the forefront of the Mayo Clinic. The
first sentence in the Mayo Clinic model of care mentions high
quality. A closed medical staff with fully integrated hospital
care and outpatient clinics and a common medical record in an
all-electronic environment are important factors that enhance
safety and quality. Continuous professional training in quality and safety is mandatory for all staff. Five safety workplace
behaviors are regularly discussed and incorporated: paying attention to detail, communicating clearly, having a questioning
and receptive attitude, handing off effectively, and supporting
each other. Mayo Clinic is proud to be at the top of all the main
published quality indices and continues to set and define new
standards of quality and safety.

Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings

Volume 27, Number 2