The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science

On September 30, 1889, W.W. Mayo and his sons Will and Charlie performed the very first operation at a brand-new Catholic hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. It was called Saint Marys.

The hospital arose out of the devastation of a tornado that had struck the town six years earlier. After the storm, Mother Alfred Moes of the Sisters of Saint Francis told the Mayos that she had a vision of building a hospital that would “become world renowned for its medical arts.”

Based on the film by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science chronicles the history of this unique organization, from its roots as an unlikely partnership between a country doctor and a Franciscan order of nuns to its position today as a worldwide model for patient care, research, and education.

Featuring more than 400 compelling archival and modern images in a supplemental PDF, as well as the complete script from the film, the book demonstrates how the institution’s remarkable 150-year history continues to inspire the way medicine is practiced there today. In addition, a series of case studies reveals patients, doctors, and nurses in their most private moments as together they face difficult diagnoses and embark on uncertain treatments.

The film and this companion book tell the story of an organization that has managed to stay true to its primary value—the needs of the patient come first. Together, they make an important contribution to the critical discussions about the delivery of health care today in America … and the world.