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Posted by on Apr 1, 2017 in TellMeWhy |

Who Founded the Mayo Clinic?

Who Founded the Mayo Clinic?

Who Founded the Mayo Clinic? The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, United States, was founded by William Worrall Mayo. He opened a medical practice that evolved under his sons into Mayo Clinic. William James Mayo (1861—1939) and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo (1865— 1939) both brilliant surgeons, they worked with their father, also a surgeon, at the small and recently established St Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, each specializing in a different branch of surgery.

iconic bronze statue of drs. william and charles mayo

William operated on the stomach and Charles concentrated on goiter, a swelling in the front of the neck. News of their success in working together and pooling the benefits of their experience spread throughout the medical world. The group partnership developed into an internationally famous institution that combined hospital treatment with teaching and research.

The Mayo brothers were intensely hard-working and set themselves the highest standards. They were quick to use the advantages of discoveries in antisepsis and anesthesia, and for 40 years had a profound influence on American and world medicine. The brothers both died in 1939, leaving the famous clinic to carry on as a monument to their memory.

It employs more than 4,500 physicians and scientists and 57,100 allied health staff. The practice specializes in treating difficult cases through tertiary care. It spends over $660 million a year on research. Mayo Clinic is widely regarded as one of the United States’ greatest hospitals and ranked No. 1 in the country on the 2016–2017 U.S. News & World Report List of “Best Hospitals” of the United States, maintaining a position near the top for more than 25 years. It has been on the list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” published by Fortune magazine for thirteen consecutive years.

It continued to achieve this ranking through 2015. In addition to their flagship hospital in Rochester, the Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Arizona and Florida. The Mayo Clinic Health System also operates affiliated facilities throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Content for this question contributed by Brad Benecki, resident of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA