Looking for more details about what is where at St. Mary's

Hello @tinamayovisitor and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It is understandable to want to know as much as you can going into your family member's procedure, especially with work obligations looming over you throughout your stay.

One thing I would suggest, is to keep in mind that timing is not perfect when it comes to patient care meaning that report times are definitive, however, procedure and recovery times vary greatly depending on the needs of each patient before your family member and your family member. I have found that it is best to block the entire day given that you likely won't be "on time" for anything that day as there may be unexpected delays and/or additional time needed.

All that said, St. Mary's Hospital campus will take you anywhere from 5-10 minutes to exit at any given location and then you could calculate walk time to your hotel. I would plan for 15-25 minutes commute time from any given inside location to your hotel, provided it is within a few blocks of St. Mary's.

From personal experience waiting for a family member in a serious surgical procedure, I would just take the day off of work if possible. There will be enough stress on your heart and mind that day.

When is your family member's surgery scheduled for?

Thanks! That is good to know. Some hospitals are crazy large and hard to navigate. The surgery is Monday 4/18. I am taking that day off, but I started a new job and only have 2 days avaiable. My sister wants me to go to appointments the Friday before the surgery, so those 2 days take all I have available. I am hoping to be able to visit early and maybe mid-day, then in the evening, I may, of course, be visiting a sleeping patient.
I will have some flexibility but I will also be in Rochester for about 1 1/2 weeks and then 2.5 weeks at her home. The whole thing will have me away for 4 weeks. This is really just me stressing and trying to plan.

@tinamayovisitor You will have a lot on your plate! I agree with @amandajro that if possible to ask your boss to be accommodating, and not have a set time to check in with him/her. To have that worry off your shoulders will make you a better employee, and hopefully your job will see that. Would you be able to play "catchup" on the next day?
Ginger

@tinamayovisitor I completely understand. When I have a lot on my plate I instantly try to figure out what I can control, so I completely understand. Maybe you can consider taking a half day on the appointment day or asking if you can flex your work hours to accommodate the appointment/surgery schedule better. I live by the rule that you cannot get what you need if you don't ask and also that people generally want to be kind and helpful. Take a deep breath and things will all work out!

How is your family member doing as his/her surgery is approaching?

I had surgery at St Marys. My family had no problem finding their way. There were always plenty of volunteers walking around- they were even sent to the wrong waiting room one time and
A nurse came out and escorted them to icu waiting room so that they were sure my family was there when I woke up. My family stayed across the street at aspen suites and it was perfect. My kids were able to go back and forth easily while I was in surgery all day, but be close enough to get back if needed. It’s really not as huge and daunting as some really large hospitals. When we arrived - which was a few days early for surgery testing, we went over and kinda walked around- of course precovid times so I don’t know if that’s possible now, but we found where I was supposed to go to register that morning, surgery waiting area and kind of got an idea. That helped me for that morning, so you could see if something like that is possible as well. It such a stressful time little things like knowing where to go make a big difference. Best wishes.

Jeane

@tinamayovisitor Hi Tina, I have had 3 surgeries at St Mary's. All you need to do is report to the registration area which is right inside the main entrance front door. It has a waiting area with beautiful stained glass windows. After you check in, an escort from your surgeon's team will come and escort you and the patient where you need to be. St. Mary's Mary Brigh section has at least 40 operating rooms on several floors, and that part of the building does not have public access. You need a Mayo person to get past security to access those areas. I was in a 9th floor unit in the Mary Brigh building after my surgery. I wouldn't know how to get there and when we left the hospital, a Mayo staff person escorted us and pushed my wheelchair back to the Tower entrance. Before I arrived for my first surgery at St. Mary's, I also wanted to get my bearings and understand where I needed to be. I like to walk into familiar surroundings and I was searching for information too. I've included some photos here to help you map out the building.

There is a exterior good photo of the St. Marys campus buildings at this link.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/campus-buildings-maps/mayo-clinic-hospital-saint-marys-campus
The new main "Mary Brigh" entrance is on 14th Avenue SW, and the original entrance is on 2nd Street SW directly across from the Aspen Suites and other lodging. The original entrance is called the "Tower section" and this link to campus maps does show the main corridors in white.
https://mcforms.mayo.edu/mc1600-mc1699/mc1663-55.pdf
Here is a "mini tour" of the entrance to Saint Mary's. Make sure to scroll down to see my pictures. The hospital has a new Mary Brigh section that has the drive up to the main entrance under the portico with a half circle of colorful stained glass. That is a patient drop off, and there are staff that will bring wheel chairs to your vehicle to assist. From there, the driver can continue and turn into the entrance for underground parking before exiting to the street. The elevators from the underground parking bring patients into the front entrance inside.

After checking with the entry staff ( for Covid protocol, etc ), you can walk directly into the registration area. This is where patients line up as early as 5:30 AM to check in for surgery. Just beyond the registration desks is a large waiting area with a beautiful curved stained glass window.
The stained glass window looks out on a courtyard where you can go outside. The courtyard has trees, a fountain, and a bronze statue of Edith Graham Mayo, benches and some tables for playing checkers.

At the far end of the courtyard, you can see some portraits of the Sisters hanging on the wall. If you head left, that corridor will lead past the gift shop to the Tower entrance of the original Saint Mary's building which is around the corner from the main entrance if you were outside. That entrance is directly across the street from Aspen Suites where you can cross the street at a stop light. Buses also drop patients at that entrance first thing in the morning.

I stayed at Aspen Suites the first time I had surgery there, and all you do is walk across the street to enter the hospital through the beautiful entrance of an older section of the building. That has corridors that lead past the courtyard to the main entry hall where you can find the stained glass windows.

There are people everywhere who can help you get where you need to be. There is also artwork everywhere at Mayo and being in such a beautiful place creates a relaxing nurturing atmosphere. Did you enjoy the tour?

I had surgery at St Mary's end December, and they sent text messages to my family member on progress and when I was out of OR