Any recommendations for radiation oncologist at Mayo in Rochester?

Hi. I stayed at the Broadway Plaza. I was very fortunate in that my employer paid for my 20 day stay and allowed me to stay on the executive floors, which cost about $7000. It was a one bedroom apartment on the 16th floor with a separate living room and kitchen. They have cheaper apartments on the lower floors, which were definitely not as nice and actually a bit depressing (this is where I started before upgrading to the different room.). I would probably look at other options before considering their standard apartments. We also looked at the Marriott Town Suites but they were sold out. Might as well get the points if you can. I was told that there is some type of concierge at Mayo that also provides housing options as well. I didn’t use them, but this seems like a great resource that might be able to get you discounts.

I was getting reasonable direct United flights from Denver to Minnesota and then taking an Uber, which is about an 80 minute drive. If you fly into Rochester with the connecting flight, you’re probably 15 or 20 minutes away from downtown. But at the time, it seemed cheaper to fly into Minnesota and also avoid the connecting flight risk. But I would look at both options.

Let me know if I can help with anything else. I wish you the best of luck as well!

Thank you again for sharing your experience in Rochester. When we have our dates set, I will look into the concierge service at Mayo. We may drive and stay at the Hampton - North. The points thing 🙂.

water0164 (@water0164) You might want to check out American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Rochester. They have 62 rooms for people being treated for cancer. We had no problem driving back to NW Montana after 5 treatments over 10 days.

Wow, great information. Thank you.

I understand the attraction of earning points for stays, but there is a disadvantage to staying outside walking distance from the downtown Clinic buildings. If you don't stay at a place connected to the Clinic buildings by subway and skyway, which make walking (and also wheelchairs, scooters, and the like) possible, you will have to rely on the shuttles provided by the hotel or motel or other facility. We found that adds stress and uncertainty to getting to and from Mayo appointments, and isn't good if you need to go back and rest or retreat to peace and quiet between appointments. We usually stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown, but stayed at Broadway Plaza when we had to stay several weeks for grueling radiation treatment and frequent infusions. We were very glad that both places made it possible to walk or wheelchair back and forth on our own schedule.

Hyatt House is a nice walking distance and cancer patients get an additional discount with the proper form. Have stayed there many times since it opened in 2021. Radiation(when Hope Lodge was closed) and for all my Pluvicto treatments. It is not connected to the subway but not needed this time of year. If you have trouble walking the shuttle from there is very convenient.

How did this change from radiation oncologist to lodging?

That was probably on me. Such great information and helpful suggestions are truly appreciated. We will most likely be facing a longer stay for radiation and deciding where to stay is a part of this uncertainty. There has been great feedback on radiation oncologists in this string. I guess the first priority has been satisfied and now lodging has been addressed.

My Radiation Oncologist was Brian Traughber.
I was very happy with my care.
I'm 12 months post radiation.
Proton beam SBRT. 5 doses and a 4 month ADT Course.
Stayed at Hope Lodge during my care and very happy that I did.
I also found PCRI extremely helpful.
Each person's medical circumstances are unique so you need to trust your care team and understand your particular cancer.
I think education is critical to making a good decision

The concierge people are a great resource and best connected by skyway or subway. After radiation you may not feel up to a long shuttle ride back to your hotel. Good luck with your treatment.