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Earlier in life, I had never considered the possibility that I or anyone I knew would have such extensive medical issues that they would need care at the Mayo Clinic. From what little I knew about it, I held the Mayo Clinic in my imagination as both a place that would be scary to go to because it meant that you had serious health problems, but also a place of hope to overcome those problems. Life has a funny way of taking twists and turns that you never expect, and so I found myself traveling to Rochester, Minnesota in January.
I had the privilege of accompanying my adult daughter to Mayo Clinic for a week’s worth of medical appointments in the hope of finding an answer to a complicated medical issue resulting in chronic pain for her. She had exhausted all of the medical resources available in the Research Triangle, so Mayo seemed like the logical next step. The Mayo model requires patients to come and stay for about a week in Rochester (or one of their other locations in Florida or Arizona) while you see all of the relevant specialists for your medical needs. Once you have seen everyone, they confer with one another and make a medical plan for you. You end your visit when you meet with the internal medicine doctor with whom you started for a full readout of recommendations.
The facility itself is inspiring. From the Dale Chihuly blown glass hanging in the atrium to the light streaming in from windows, it is a peaceful place. Knowing that everyone around you is dealing with something difficult also makes you slow down and appreciate one another. Visiting Minneapolis in the middle of January was not on our list of things to do in life, but there are several hotels that are connected to the clinic buildings by skyways and underground, so we only needed to go outside when we wanted dinner. There are a couple of restaurants available at the hotels, but we found they were overrun with patients and waits were long for food. If you ever find yourself at Mayo, we recommend Chester’s Kitchen and Bar which is a five-minute walk from the clinic.
It takes two to three months to get an appointment at Mayo, although it may be longer now due to the pandemic. You have to gather all of your medical records ahead of time. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Mayo Clinic is considered in-network with many of the biggest insurers including United Health Care, her provider. You see the doctors there on an outpatient basis only paying the regular copayment for specialist visits or co-insurance for procedures. Mayo provides brochures on the hotels nearby and information on traveling there. While there is a concierge travel service to help make flight arrangements without worrying about change fees, I found that every time I called I just got voicemail, and when they called me back I was not available. So, I just made us one-way ticket reservations.
The preparation was quite time-consuming in that gathering all of the medical records and films and CDs from procedures can be a bit overwhelming when you have a complicated medical issue. You are told to expect to stay a week, but they reserve the right to ask you to stay longer if they want you to see another specialist or run more tests. They also recommend that you have a letter from your physician that gives an overview of why you are there and relevant medical history. We found that typing up her medical history from her own point of view was very constructive. After the week was over, we agreed that careful preparation made the visit much more valuable.
After meeting with the internal medicine doctor for the first time, my daughter had some tests that needed to be run and three other specialists to see. At each appointment, the front desk staff and nurses were exceptionally friendly and ran on time or at least within ten minutes of the appointed time. While some of the doctors were very relaxed and warm, others seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. However, all of the doctors listened and responded with their thoughts and recommendations in a manner that we could understand. My daughter was referred to a couple of more specialists while we were there, but they were able to fit her appointments in during the week that we planned to stay there. She reported that technicians for each test or procedure were “super nice” and explained things well. They alleviated anxieties and explained each step thoroughly. We ended our trip by trying to get our flight changed to avoid a blizzard. We were able to use the travel concierge services this time since we were there, and they arranged everything for us without having to pay the change fees.
In discussing her experience at Mayo, my daughter says that ”The culture there is different. Everyone is open and transparent, and they make sure you understand what they are saying.” She said that when she first received the Mayo folder she noticed that it said “The needs of the patient come first.” and thought that was cheesy. But now that she has been there, she says it is true.
Stay tuned as we are returning to Mayo Clinic next week so she can attend the recommended Pain Rehabilitation Program for three weeks.
So happy to know that your daughter may finally be getting the attention she needs to move towards wellness! And great inside information about Mayo. It seems like they take the caring part of healthcare seriously. Hoping for big positive results on her next visit!