The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science

I moved to Minnesota (MN) to go to Mayo for a rare form of blood cancer. Where I'd lived, the doctors didn't know how to help me. During the shutdown in March 2020, Mayo abandoned me and all their patients even though the MN governor said that the chronically and severely ill were to still get care (the other health systems in MN didn't do like Mayo). When Mayo reopened, I was told they wouldn't give me the care they'd promised and I would die as a result. Mayo has a reputation among the locals (laymen, doctors outside of Mayo, and gov't officials alike) as only caring about profit. Because they shutdown totally and "had to" take care of poor people with Covid-19, they lost a lot of profit for 2020. My insurance didn't pay well, so they decided to let me die. When I complained, Mayo retaliated by permanently banning me from their clinic. So I complained to the state and was told by the MN Dept. of Health (MDH) that Mayo's actions were "morally wrong," but legal under MN law. They can abandon patients, neglect patients even if they hurt or kill them, and ban patients permanently. I was told by MDH that Mayo was known for turning away patients and neglecting them; especially if they had gov't insurance like Medicare. When I talked to the Office of the Commissioner of the MN Dept. of Human Services, they told me Mayo is known for arbitrarily banning patients. No one I've met in the last 11 months in MN likes Mayo and I don't blame them. I moved over 2,000 miles and spent money I didn't have for nothing. Stay away from Mayo unless you want to waste your time and money and risk death from neglect. They're horrible. Their ethics really are in the toilet (as doctors outside the Mayo health system have told me). Anything good you hear about Mayo is just hype. I learned that the hard way.

I never knew the story of the founding of this remarkable institution. It amazes me that a group of Catholic sisters literally made this happen. Additionally, it was remarkable to see a modern documentary be brave enough to include faith (especially Catholicism) and its fruits so prominently along side cutting edge science, and openly declaring that it was this faith that was the seed that ultimately yielded this scientific juggernaut and the fantastic results they achieve when others fail. Religion and science are both more powerful when they are joined together on the same team. Both have critical roles to play and this documentary tells that story surprisingly well and without apology or qualification. I speak from experience as a faithful Catholic who beat very bad odds in a battle with cancer, which was treated by a similarly gifted group of scientists at Dana Farber in Boston. Kudos to Mr. Ken Burns. I'm so glad I watched this and encourage everyone else to as well!

Certainly would have expected better from Burns. Struggles to sustain a thin story for two full hours and ends up coming across as a filmstrip running on loop in a company museum that everyone can safely ignore. Disturbingly blurs the lines between the Mayo brothers' laudable social justice ideals behind the founding of the Clinic and the corporate juggernaut it is today.

Everyone says, "The Mayo is the best, right?" It may have been at one point. The spirit in which it was created was certainly a giving and collaborative spirit. But the "best" is still saved for the wealthy and the famous first. The Mayo was discovered to be turning away patients receiving medical assistance in Minnesota, even though legally they aren't supposed to be because they receive funding from the state of Minnesota. As far as treating rare diseases goes, I have seven. After getting referrals from five different doctors while I was living in Minnesota to be seen at the Mayo, the Mayo said in a letter that they would not accept me as a patient because I was "too rare." In fact, I'm not allowed to be seen there at all. I went later just to have my blood drawn for a test, not to see a doctor, and they removed me from the roster after I signed in because of the ban. It isn't just me; my cousin's friend had to move to another state to get her double lung transplant for her rare disease because the Mayo didn't want her as a patient. Another friend who actually lives in Rochester was also banned for being rare. They have great success stats if they turn away patients. So the "hope" portion of this is completely false, unless you can hope to be easy, wealthy or famous.

(Flash Review)

The nation needs to follow the Mayo's Vision as it truly puts people over profits. Not that profits aren't important but their passion to give patients the best possible best care is refreshing. The documentary does a nice job of blending historical chronology with modern patients health troubles and how Mayo attempted to cure them with unique approaches. Many of the unique or first of a kind cures are showcased. The vision of the original Mayo family is the underlying focus and is very impressive. One of the key factors that is still in practice today are that the Mayo Staff are salaried rather than paid by the quantity of patients or services they provide; needed or not.