Sometimes tone and intent don't come across so clearly on message boards. I don't think that Justin was trying to shut down the conversation. I just think he was trying to give @vialox some helpful info.

In any event, we are happy to continue the discussion. I think the bottom line is that different people are referred different ways. Sometimes, local docs already have a relationship with Mayo and will make the referral. Sometimes, patients take the lead and refer themselves. At the end of the day, they all wind up getting the same great care at Mayo.

One thing that I have found to be true in the almost 20 years that I have been a HCM patient is that there is often a lack of knowledge about HCM by local cardiologists because they usually lack experience with HCM. It is not the thing that they usually treat, I myself bumped around through a few before I wound up with my current team, and even then, I still had to refer myself to Mayo when it became time for surgery. I think alot of learning to live well with this disease involves finding medical professionals who are experienced in treating the disease. HCMA and others have gone a long way to helping this become possible for many people.