Reference no: EM133675113

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated nonprofit medical group practice in the world. William and Charles Mayo founded the clinic over 100 years ago as a small outpatient facility and pioneered the concept of a medical group pr ­actice-a model that is widely used today.

Mayo Clinic provides exceptional medical care and leads the nation in many specialties, such as cancer, heart disease, respiratory disorders, and urology. It consistently ranks at the top of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals list and enjoys over 80 percent brand recognition among U.S. adults.

Mayo Clinic has reached this level of success by taking a different approach from most clinics and hospitals and placing unwavering focus on the patient experience. The clinic's two interrelated core values can be traced back to its founders and are at the heart of all the organization does: placing the patient's interests above all others and practicing teamwork.

Every aspect of the patient experience is considered at Mayo Clinic's three campuses in Rochester, Minnesota;

Scottsdale, Arizona; and Jacksonville, Florida. From the moment patients walk into one of Mayo Clinic's facilities, they experience something entirely different. It all starts with Mayo Clinic's greeters, who welcome new patients into the building and walk them through the administrative process. Returning patients are greeted by name with a warm smile. The buildings and facilities themselves are designed and built with the needs of patients in mind. One architect explained that the buildings are meant to make "patients feel a little better before they see their doctors." For example, the lobby of the Mayo Clinic hospital in Scottsdale has an indoor waterfall and a wall of windows overlooking mountains.

The 21-story Gonda Building in Rochester is Mayo Clinic's headquarters of sorts and where people from around the world come for medical help. The building has spectacular wide-open spaces, boasts huge windows reaching to the sky, and hosts Mayo Clinic's Center for Innovation, where many of Mayo's cutting-edge ideas come to life. The Center for Innovation was created with the mission of "Transforming
the Delivery and Experience of Health Care." In order to come up with ideas that will accomplish this lofty goal, Center employees observe patients, interview families, and conduct research, as well as test and model possible solutions. For example, when Mayo Clinic called for a major room innovation, the Center for Innovation used prototype exam rooms in a flexible space so employees and patients could test the
new layouts and discover the most efficient and patient friendly environment. The resulting design was called "Jack and Jill rooms," a concept that separated the exam space from the conversation space. Two conversation rooms are now located on either side of the exam room and accessed by internal doors. This design benefits both patients and physicians, who like having a separate place to talk away from medical tools and equipment and the space to accommodate family members. In addition, physicians found it beneficial not to have furniture in the exam room.

The other significant difference in serving patients is Mayo Clinic's concept of teamwork. A patient can come to Mayo Clinic with or without a physician's referral. At the time of arrival, the patient's team is assembled; it can be composed of any blend of medical professionals, including the primary physician, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, nurses, residents, or other specialists with the appropriate
skill, experience, and knowledge.

Teams of medical professionals work together to diagnose each patient's medical problems. This can involve analyzing and debating test results for hours in order to determine the most accurate diagnosis and most effective treatments. Once a team consensus has been reached, the leader meets with the patient and discusses his or her options. Throughout the process, patients are encouraged to take part in the discussion. If surgery is necessary, the procedure is often scheduled to take place within 24 hours, a dramatic difference from the long wait that patients experience at many other hospitals. Mayo Clinic's doctors understand that those who seek their care want action as soon as
possible.

Mayo's doctors are on salary instead of being paid by the number of patients seen or tests ordered. As a result, patients receive more individualized attention and care, and physicians work together instead of against one another. As one pediatrician at Mayo explained, "We're very comfortable with calling colleagues for what I call 'curbside consulting.' I don't have to make a decision about splitting a fee or owing someone something. It's never a case of quid pro quo." Because Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization, all of its operating income is invested back into its research and education programs. Breakthrough research is quickly implemented into the quality care of the patients. Mayo Clinic offers educational programs through its five schools, and many of its physicians come up through these programs with Mayo's philosophy ingrained in their heads, including Mayo's motto: "The best interest of the patient is the only interest to
be considered."

Mayo Clinic has been recognized by many third parties for its independent thinking, outstanding service and performance, and core focus on patient care and satisfaction. CEO Dr. John Noseworthy stated, "Sometimes we have to make decisions that don't make a lot of sense from a business standpoint, but they're the right thing for the patient." P ­erhaps that is why over a million patients come to Mayo Clinic for treatment each year, including U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state.67

Questions

1. Explain why Mayo Clinic is exceptional at serving patients. What value does Mayo Clinic create for patients?

2. What are the key points differentiating Mayo Clinic from other hospitals and medical facilities?

3. Do conflicts of interest exist between wanting to make patients happy and providing the best medical care possible? Why or why not?