ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Mayo Clinic is proud to report a year of extraordinary achievements in 2021, thanks to the hard work and dedication of its more than 73,000 staff members. Mayo Clinic accelerated progress on goals related to its "Bold. Forward." strategic plan to transform health care while continuing to provide leadership in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Mayo cared for more than 1.4 million patients from every U.S. state and 139 countries. Every day, Mayo staff members exemplified the patient-centered values that have made Mayo Clinic a global destination for hope and healing for more than 150 years.

"Our accomplishments in 2021 in patient care, research and education are a testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "Mayo Clinic staff have persevered heroically through more than two years of the pandemic and provided the highest-quality care for the historic numbers of patients who have trusted us with their health care."

Mayo was ranked No. 1 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report in its 2021–2022 "Best Hospitals" rankings for the sixth consecutive year, with the destination centers in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota all ranked best in their states.

Front-line and virtual teams cared for more than 160,000 patients with COVID-19 in 2021. Mayo staff tested more than 1.1 million people for COVID-19, administered more than 500,000 COVID-19 vaccinations, and provided more than 19,000 monoclonal antibody infusions.

"The pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges," says Christina Zorn, Mayo Clinic's chief administrative officer. "Through it all, our staff continued to take care of each other and always put the needs of our patients first. Their collective efforts make Mayo Clinic a beacon of hope and healing, and the trusted voice in health care. I am deeply grateful and inspired by their extraordinary efforts."

Record number of patients seek Mayo Clinic expertise, innovation

Hospital census levels at Mayo Clinic reached new highs in 2021, with a weekly average of more than 2,100 patients ― 8.1% higher than in 2020. Hospital occupancy averaged nearly 92% — significantly higher than in 2019, before the pandemic.

Mayo is leading innovation in virtual care and remote patient monitoring as key elements in its "Bold. Forward." strategic plan to transform health care. More than 1 million outpatient appointments were provided virtually in 2021, and more than 8,500 patients were enrolled in remote monitoring to receive care how and where they prefer.

The Mayo Clinic Advanced Care at Home Program expanded to Mayo Clinic in Arizona in 2021, and patients in the Phoenix area now can receive comprehensive, complex care in the comfort of their own homes. Under 24/7 direction of Mayo physicians, this program provides skilled nursing and many other services, combining technology and clinical expertise to ensure that the needs of the patient come first.

The Mayo Clinic Advanced Care at Home Program was introduced by Mayo Clinic Platform and is operated by Mayo Clinic's Center for Digital Health. It combines technology and clinical expertise to allow patients with conditions previously managed in a hospital to receive high-quality virtual and in-person care and recovery services at home.

Mayo Clinic Platform also continued to make targeted equity investments in digital health and technology companies that align with the "Bold. Forward." strategic plan to transform health care. Among other achievements, Mayo Clinic's partnership with Google yielded success in digital pathology transformation and an initial proof of concept for autocontouring target areas for radiotherapy.

Philanthropy, strong investment returns boost financial performance

Mayo Clinic continued its strong financial performance in 2021, with revenue increasing 14% to $15.7 billion. Expenses grew by 11% year over year, due in large part to pandemic-related expenses and increased clinical volumes. Income from routine operations was $481 million ― a 3.2% margin. With philanthropy and investment returns, net operating income totaled $1.2 billion.

Philanthropy is essential to Mayo Clinic's mission. In 2021, Mayo's generous benefactors contributed $795 million to support programs in Practice, Education and Research. Total philanthropy was more than $1 billion, including future gift commitments. This matched 2020's total. Mayo Clinic's Long Term Fund investment returns were well above historic averages, with a return of 27.3% in 2021 and averaging 11.5% annually over the past decade. This provides considerable long-term stability.

Mayo Clinic staff have met the professional and personal challenges of the pandemic with skill and resilience. And as Mayo enters 2022, eligible allied health staff members will receive a guaranteed 4% minimum salary increase, with a commitment to continue evaluating market competitiveness.

Mayo Clinic expenditures for research totaled more than $1 billion in 2021, with Mayo and donor gifts covering 40.3% of research expenditures and the rest originating from external sources, such as grants. Active clinical trials at Mayo increased to 2,889, and the number of investigational new drugs developed by Mayo researchers in 2021 was 87, which is 42% more annually than just five years ago.

Education at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science brings together world-class clinical talent, a commitment to academic excellence and unparalleled research capabilities. In 2021, Mayo's expenditures for education, including stipends for medical residents and trainees, totaled $416 million.

Mayo expands commitment to support the communities it serves

Mayo helped address broad community needs in 2021, including assistance to local nonprofit organizations, schools and human service efforts. Mayo contributed more than $11.5 million to hundreds of nonprofit organizations that work on community health needs and disparities, and provide essential assistance to people in greatest need.

Highlights include:

• Mayo Clinic reaffirmed its commitment to address the need for affordable housing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with a contribution to the Coalition for Rochester Area Housing, a public-private collaborative.
• Mayo Clinic provided grants to Agape Family Health in Jacksonville, Florida, to provide support for COVID-19 testing efforts. This organization provides health care for primarily uninsured, underserved and underrepresented populations.
• Mayo Clinic forged a collaboration with Adelante Healthcare, a federally qualified health center in Arizona, to provide hope and healing to uninsured patients with breast or cervical cancer diagnoses.
• Mayo Clinic Health System contributions focused on addressing community health needs, including mental health, access to health care, and COVID-19 outreach and education to support communities.

"The past several years have tested Mayo Clinic like no other time in our history, but Mayo's mission and values have kept us united, and we are stronger for it," says Dr. Farrugia. "We have the most highly skilled, committed and caring workforce in health care, and we are moving boldly forward, united in our mission to transform health care to serve patients who need us most."

Additional resources

• 2021 Mayo Clinic Fact Sheet
• Mayo Clinic 2021 consolidated financial report

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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:

• Jay Furst, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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