Mayo Clinic launches ‘YOU ARE … THE CAMPAIGN FOR MAYO CLINIC’ to perpetuate medical care research and education
Philanthropic effort supports patient-inspired innovations
ROCHESTER, Minn. — May 7, 2014 – To accelerate the pace of research, solve unmet needs of patients and improve the quality of health care, Mayo Clinic today announced a philanthropic campaign to raise $3 billion by Dec. 31, 2017, strengthening Mayo’s strategic priorities in patient care, research and education.
“Reliable funding is the biggest barrier to advance medical breakthroughs that can benefit patients suffering from diseases,” says John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO. “Traditional funding sources, such as federal grants, cannot cover the cost of discovering cutting-edge science and implementing those solutions in clinical practice.”
A focal point for the campaign is biomedical research. For example, funding will allow scientists and researchers to apply healthy tissues to regenerate and cure diseased organs; find trusted answers on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease based on an individual’s genome and harness Mayo’s collective knowledge to improve the cost-effective delivery of quality health care.
The campaign also centers on shaping the future practice of medicine by educating medical students and graduates in patient-centered, science-driven, integrated medicine. The Mayo Clinic Model of Care has been refined over the last 150 years, with the needs of the patient at the center of this team-based practice of medicine. These principles constitute a signature element of The Campaign for Mayo Clinic. A successful drive will provide funding to ensure Mayo’s clinical services deliver the highest level of care and treatment.
“We are purposefully creating the future of health care, while staying true to our heritage and values,” says Dr. Noseworthy. “Patients in the U.S. and the world expect leadership from Mayo Clinic and rely on our ability to speed the translation of scientific discovery to first-time cures and treatments. We deliver advances in patient care because scientific rigor and innovation are embedded in our culture.”
A not-for-profit academic medical institution, Mayo Clinic launched the campaign’s quiet phase in 2010 and has achieved 58.5 percent of its goal to raise $3 billion. The point of a quiet phase is to raise 50-60 percent of the goal before announcing the campaign to the public. This is the largest fundraising drive in Mayo history. The campaign’s public launch coincides with Mayo Clinic’s Sesquicentennial, honoring 150 years of serving humanity.
“Mayo Clinic’s pioneering approach to comprehensive care, breakthrough discoveries and medical education depends on the support of benefactors,” Dr. Noseworthy says. “Their support resulted in gifts totaling $508 million in 2013.”
“Because Mayo Clinic is on the forefront of health care, we see our benefactors as co-visionaries who help further strengthen medical excellence that only Mayo Clinic can offer,” says James L. Barksdale, campaign chair who also served as a Mayo Clinic trustee from 2001 to 2014 and was chair from 2006 to 2010. Barksdale heads Barksdale Management Corporation.
For more information and to donate to YOU ARE … THE CAMPAIGN FOR MAYO CLINIC visit MayoClinic.org/YouAre.
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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Karl Oestreich, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu