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Confessions of a New Employee
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I work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester; but I have only been there since December 2008. As you might guess, I’m delighted to work at Mayo, and, yes, as you might also guess, I work with a group of amazingly talented people—in my case, in the Department of Development.
But what you might not guess from this bit of background is that I left behind a good job in another good health care organization, and a good group of family, friends, and coworkers in order to come here. In fact, I left a good country. So, why Mayo?
Well, when my feet first touched the ground in Rochester, it was late afternoon on a beautiful warm day last August. I’d settled into my room at a local hotel, then decided to explore the Mayo Clinic campus. As I walked the plaza along 1st Street SW I saw couples on benches enjoying quiet conversations; I saw people eating early dinners at pleasant outdoor cafés; I saw others walking away from their offices after a day at work; but, what I also saw were people, obviously patients, who were each and always accompanied by some person—perhaps a spouse or family member, perhaps a friend or a staff person. I heard--what was it?--sussurance. But it was more than the sounds or what I saw. It was the feel.
It’s true. As I walked about on that early evening, seeing the famous Mayo Clinic for the first time, I realized that I could feel the energy of the place. That energy was what drew me here. It seemed to come partly from the employees themselves as they echoed the words of Dr. William Mayo: the needs of the patient come first. But it was also energy that came from a sort of pride, many times over, pride squared you could say. It came, I think, from employee pride in their many jobs well done.
