Gift for a doctor?

@ok87, first off, I would suggest submitting your Story of gratitude to Mayo Clinic staff. Scroll to the bottom of this page https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/patient-experience

These gratitude notes are shared with the team and can lead to them getting special recognition at Mayo Clinic.

To find out more about guidelines for gift giving, please contact the Office of Patient Experience:
Phone: 844-544-0036 (toll-free)
Email: opx@mayo.edu

In general, when gifting to a team, I know food or consumables are always appreciated. It's nice to get the gift and to share it with colleagues, giving them a moment to take a pause and share food together in their busy days. Now, let's talk nutrition... chocolate vs a bushel of apples...umm. Just kidding.

@ok87 I know just how you feel. I also expressed gratitude to a surgeon at Mayo with a very special gift. I know typically, they wouldn't expect something that couldn't be shared among the team. Mine was an exception, and I discussed it with my surgeons' nurse, and she helped me with the details. I am an artist and was loosing the coordination in my arms because of a spine problem. With my spine surgeon's help, I got my coordination and strength back after his surgery and some rehab. The best way I could show my appreciation, was to do a painting of him as my gift to him because his surgery made that possible and he saved my talent. It meant a lot to me to do that and to prove to myself that I was able to do that again.

You could message one of the team members and give them your suggestion. I also had completed a hospital survey about the exceptional care I had received, and along with that, I sent a personal letter to the CEO who's name was on the survey expressing my gratitude and named my surgeon and his team. I received a nice personal letter back from the CEO thanking me. I brought a copy of that to a follow up appointment and gave it to my surgeon which he really appreciated. I know that medicine can be difficult and sometime stressful for a medical provider, and I feel that if you as a patient can lighten that burden, it helps everyone. They chose medicine because they really wanted to help, so your gratitude is a reward for all their hard work and years of study.

@ok87
I do not know if officially allowed, but I have done it. I live local so was easy to drop something off. It is always of team providing care, so I gave something that could be shared.

When I finished by weeks of chemo treatment, I took in a fruit basket and canister filled with individual wrapped candies to last appointment. Something that could be put in their break room and shared by all.

Did something similar when dad died. He was in ICU for3 days on life support and team of nurses were amazing. I took in canister of candies.

Maybe call the surgeon's secretary and ask about best way to show appreciation.

I also had amazing care at Mayo. Felt like nothing would measure up to what they did for me. My nurses were beyond amazing. I gave them all the flowers I'd gotten, but was a pittance to what they did, 24/7 for me. They sent me a Thank You note for being such a good & memorable patient! Wow, huh?
I appreciate the info on how to share my experience within Mayo. I will do that! I was expecting a radical nephrectomy and the surgical team called me (on a Saturday!!) shortly b4 surgery to tell me, the surgeon believed he had a 95% chance of saving my kidney... and he did! There aren't enough words to express my gratitude for the miracle I was given.

I simply write thank you notes to my provider after my visit.

This is very helpful, thank you! I emailed the office of patient experience, but have not received a response. Do you think it would be ok to order a delivery of a food-related gift and address it to the doctor and his team? I'm from out of town and cannot drop it off myself.

Your gift sounds wonderful! I'm sure your surgeon was touched by it and appreciated it very much.

THIS

@ok87 You bet! He never expected anything like this as he is a humble man according to his nurse. She helped me make all of this happen and was excited by it too. He was very touched by it, and it had an element of surprise. He hadn't been able to work with me on choices, so I picked the pose with what I could do with the photos I had taken during a followup appointment and had my husband pose in a white chef jacket in front of the Plummer building so I could simulate the reflections of a white lab coat in the historic brass doors. I also recorded the creation of the painting which was my first post operative painting. I was very tired physically at the time and I would need frequent rest, so It took me about a month to complete, and I did have it finished for my one year follow up. You might enjoy looking at these links.

Here are a few pictures from the first unveiling.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/221703/
The Mayo story.
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/using-the-art-of-medicine-to-overcome-fear-of-surgery/
"A Gift for my Surgeon" The recording of the painting in progress as a time lapse set to music.

Perhaps a donation to Mayo + request it is earmarked for an area of need identified by your Care Team? 🌠