• Mayo Clinic: We are grateful to our patients and our staff; here are some reasons why

Nurse at patient's bedside listening to heart with stethoscope
portrait of Dr. Halena Gazelka
Halena Gazelka, M.D.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Patients and staff are the heart of Mayo Clinic. Their close collaboration, determination and innovation often make what might have seemed impossible possible. In this holiday season, Mayo Clinic offers deepest appreciation to patients and staff.   

"I would like to express my gratitude to patients, their caregivers and the entire Mayo Clinic staff," says Halena Gazelka, M.D., medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. "Many of our patients have shared stories of fortitude, compassion and commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes. Stories like these inspire us every day."     

Here are some of the many stories patients have shared over the past year:

"These examples of curing, connecting and transforming demonstrate the power of teamwork among patients, their loved ones and their care teams," Dr. Gazelka says. "Thank you, and please accept my my warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season."

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

Media contact:


For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place.  Anyone shown without a mask was photographed prior to COVID-19.