Fathers and Sons

The past week since Sunday I've been in Rochester, Minnesota with Barnabee (dad and step-momma) having my Momma Bee looked over at the Mayo Clinic.

This is mostly what I did. Lots of sitting around. I only brought flip-flops!
Nice dress yes? Thank you, The Turnstyle!

It was a long week with Barnabee and I staying in a hotel that, while economically attractive, wasn't the very best of the very best. It wasn't horrible, but I did observe a pair of panties lying in the hall for a couple of days. And there was the long afternoon a Spanish-speaking woman had an argument on the phone in the hall. I practiced my Spanish along with her. That girl could use some words! Ha! El jurar es bueno para el alma.

That aside, and truthfully that wasn't the important part of the trip. The important part was Momma Bee's experience at the Mayo Clinic.

I won't go into her whats, but I will tell you that the whys of her case were impressively dealt and handled with an ease and competence I've never seen in my years; not that I know anything.

What I do know is her case is complex and the bottom line of her particular whats were discovered with a timing that left me both awestruck and speechless.

My step-sister told me what these were. In the lobby of the Mayo Clinic. From the artist, Dale Chihuly. 

Is this place organized within an inch of reason? Oh yes. The fact that I managed to get Barnabee where they needed to be over and over is amazing and the thanks go mostly to helpful staff that seem to sense when you're lost and confused. Fantastic!

I attended most of the procedures and consultations along with Barnabee and the thing that struck me most is how within the team approach that the Mayo Clinic is known for, each and every one of the staffers Momma Bee had to speak with listened to her. I repeat; they listened to her.

Not that type of listening I've come to know within the medical community I've mostly dealt with, but listening. Real listening. Where they listen and then ask questions about what you just said. Over and over I observed this happening.

Momma Bee has been talking about her issues for years and nobody listened like she was listened to over the past week.

I might be exhausted (hello The Turnstyle tomorow - ack!), but it was well worth it.

We'll be going back for the continuation of her story, but now I know where I'm going! And that's always a good thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mayo Clinic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group based in Rochester, Minnesota, specializing in treating difficult cases (tertiary care). Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of most accredited quality standard listings; for example, it has been near the top of the U.S. News & World Report List of "Best Hospitals for more than 20 years". The practice is distinguished by integrated care, and a strong research presence is evidenced by the fact that over 40% of its resources are devoted towards research (rather than just medical practice).

Mayo Clinic has been on the list of America's "100 Best Companies to Work For" published by Fortune magazine for eight years in a row. From its humble beginnings as a family venture between a father and his two sons, the practice later became America's first integrated group practice, a model that is now standard in the United States. The current-day Mayo Clinic is an integrated practice of more than 3,700 physicians and scientists, and a total employment including nurses, students, and allied health staff of more than 56,000 persons.

Core Values
As is evidenced by the Mayo Clinic logo, the institution has a three part focus. First and primary to the organization is the patient care practice, represented by the central shield. This is in accordance with the primary statement of the organization that "the needs of the patient always come first." The other two shields represent the areas of education and research, two areas of Mayo Clinic which have become more prominent over time.