The Needs of the Patient Come First

Seven Words

Seven words — the needs of the patient come first. Simple. Straightforward. And the bedrock commitment Mayo Clinic makes to every patient every day.

Back in 1910, in a speech to the graduating class of Rush Medical College, Dr. William J. Mayo said it this way: "The
best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered ..."

The words have evolved from Dr. Mayo's original quote, but not their meaning or importance. They express our commitment to providing the best care to every patient, every day. At Mayo, when we weigh options and make decisions we are guided by these seven words. They are clear, compelling and absolute.

In that same 1910 speech, Dr. Mayo recognized that medicine had become so complex that the best care could only be provided by a team of physicians and specialists expert in their area of medical knowledge. He said, "in order that the sick may have the benefit of advancing knowledge, (a) union of forces is necessary."

Because of Dr. Mayo's foresight, Mayo Clinic began building a medical practice 100 years ago based on a new model of care, a team-based approach that today is called integrated medicine.

Our patients often tell us that the experience of visiting Mayo Clinic is the way they have always wished health care would be. They point to the team-based approach — integrated medicine — and say they found answers that were not available elsewhere.

• Read what Dr. Mayo said.

The Patients

• 

  Roan Apolonio

  Life-saving heart surgery and hope came from the other side of the world for Roan Apolonio. Read Roan's story.

• 

  Chuck Fisher

  Meeting the needs of the patient means listening carefully to what patients are saying. Chuck Fisher and his family guided his cardiac care at Mayo Clinic from beginning to end. Read Chuck's story.

• 

  Sharon Francis

  Sharon Francis' life was shutting down. "I couldn't go to work. I couldn't cook. I couldn't clean. I couldn't sew. I couldn't function. All I could do was lie in the dark and pray that God would take the pain away. It was then that she decided to come to Mayo Clinic. Read Sharon's story.

• 

  Margie Hartmann and Jessica Nastrom

  Shopping, going to lunch, seeing a movie — just a few things mothers and daughters do together. Add having Gamma Knife™ surgery to the list for Margie Hartmann, 41, and her daughter, Jessica Nastrom, 19. Read Margie and Jessica's story.

• 

  Oscar McKnight Sr.

  The right technology made all the difference for Oscar McKnight Sr. Read Oscar's story.