Sharing Mayo Clinic

This story was submitted by Ron Reffitt Jr. In this photo, I'm holding my ...

Ah, the holidays a time when most people have added chaos in their lives. Between stressing over finances and the best gifts to buy, fighting ...

My name is Walter Cannon, and I am 66 years old. When I was nine years old, I had an accident at school that lead ...

Editor's Note: Mike from the Minneapolis area sent us this message on the day after Thanksgiving, as he wanted to share his gratitude for the care he received at Mayo Clinic earlier this year. His story is below; here are options for how you can share your story. Hello my name is Mike, and in March of 2009 I had a mechanical aortic valve (and some other stuff, ha!) installed by Dr. Hartzell Schaff. I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and I always knew it would need to be replaced at some point. Age 45 became my some point and thus the reason for the surgery. I am very fortunate to live in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area because there are significant options for quality health care in the area. Faced with the fact that I needed to have my valve replaced sooner rather than later I started to research my options regarding the location and surgeon. I found many that I’m sure I would have had a good experience with but when it came down to it, it seemed to me I should visit the Mayo Clinic because I heard they are the best and my research proved that out. So I scheduled a clinic day for March 17th with the help of Donna Stucky who was wonderful to work with. My day of testing couldn’t have gone smoother, everyone was so professional, competent and complete in their area. My wife came with me and by the end of the day we were both in agreement, this was the place for us! The uneasy feeling of the unknown wasn’t gone but it had diminished greatly. I also happened to meet a couple of Dr. Schaff’s patients during the day and they explained he is the absolute best surgeon – one of the best in the world. By the end of the day I was set for surgery with Dr. Schaff and his team one week later and I was looking forward to getting on the road to recovery. I didn’t know what to expect going to the hospital that morning in March, as I’ve not spent a lot of time in hospitals and haven’t had any significant surgeries prior to this one. Thinking about it now, I’d say my experience was so positive and life changing it’s impossible to put into words, but I’ll try.

The multidisciplinary team of the 5 North unit has developed a nursing care model that will improve the quality of care for patients by focusing on safety, outcomes, and satisfaction.

The concept of personalized medical treatment based on a patient’s DNA is one small step closer to becoming a reality. A Mayo Clinic Cancer Center team ...

Diversity is a key point in our libraries, and I feel so lucky that this strength is emphasized by management and coworkers. I oversee the daily operations of Rochester Methodist Hospital’s Patients’ Library where I serve a wide range of patrons from many states, countries, religions, beliefs, backgrounds and cultures. I am also encouraged to use a variety of different skills to solve problems and serve patients’ needs.

I came back alone to our beloved Mayo Clinic in July 2009, and it was hard. When I walked into the Mayo building lobby and ...

Whether it be flying to the scene of a car accident or transporting a critically ill patient to a specialty hospital by helicopter or fixed-wing ...

Less than a year ago, four-year-old Max Irvine was having hundreds of seizures a day … he couldn't walk, talk or chew his food. A ...

Regular readers of Sharing Mayo Clinic -- or Facebook "fans" or Twitter followers or YouTube subscribers -- won't be surprised at what KAAL-TV reported ...

Brenda Bonds, a Mayo Clinic patient from Wisconsin, shared this story recently via email. To share your story, click here for options. Pain is a fascinating ...