Mayo is our "Number One", but Cleveland (in Cleveland), Hopkins, M D Anderson, Loyola Chicago and I am sure others probably make the grade too. Cleveland it very much like Mayo Rochester....spread around Cleveland metro, so a little less cohesive. We have been doing "MAYO Jax" since it was a "mud hut" on the southeast side of Jax in the late 80s...... We have watched it grow from the original "Dirty 30" (the humorous name of the group of 30 docs who opened JAX). to a monumental campus with staff and facilities second to none.

As the is it "worth" it, that is a loaded question and can only be answered by you. Will you get the best results possible (not necessarily what you "wanted"), does the staff provide the highest standards of care,....could go on but like beauty, value is only in the eyes of the beholder. Expectations and value/outcome are not always aligned. No provider can fix what "can't be fixed". Ultimately it's "best outcome for the situation". In our book, Mayo exceeds our expectations and has provided positive outcomes, some not perfect, but the best under the circumstances. One GIANT point to remember and keep in perspective...."YOU are in charge of your own health" and how you approach that fact will be a large contributor to outcome and value.......

Last comments and my usual admonition..... Check emotions at the curb. Be prepared (all records gathered and in your possession including test results and imaging). Be Patient. MAYO is a limited resource due to their demands for "the best of the best" for staffing. Be polite. You may or may not immediately get "what you want when you want it".....again resources. Be fully flexible....as our Mayo physicians and their staff know "We are on MAYO Time, not our time" and go with what ever flow they provide. Have your finances sorted out......and not from this or any other social media or other forums. Contact Mayo's financial office directly to determine if your financial resources (i.e. insurance) are accepted by MAYO (this is a topic that has been beaten do an unrecognizable hulk on this forum). Fact is Mayo does not accept all type, forms or insurance carriers or specific policies. A single provider may have various policies and because "your friend has the same "company", they may not have the same specific and accepted coverage........ This all leads back to "YOU are in charge of your own health" and the "business" aspect of it is on you......not the provider....

Yes is the answer to the question...Is Mayo worth it?........if you go in eyes wide open and as a willing and productively active participant..... End of pseudo Rant....