Contributions to Medicine
People often ask: “What are Mayo Clinic’s most significant accomplishments?” Here are examples from throughout our history. Visit this site again, as we continue to build out the descriptions. For a list of 150 contributions to medicine, assembled during the Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial, download or print the attached pdf document.
1880s-Present: Values-based teamwork focused on the patient
Mayo Clinic’s most significant contribution to medicine is not a device or a drug. It’s the collaborative way we work together to serve patients and advance medical science, as seen in this photo, circa 1913.
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1905: Frozen section technique revolutionizes surgery
Dr. Louis Wilson made it possible to explore, diagnose and remove cancerous tissue all in one operation.
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1914: A Christmas discovery to treat thyroid disease
Dr. Edward Kendall was the first person in the world to isolate the iodine-containing hormone that plays a key role in treating thyroid disease.
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1920: Establishing the system to “grade” tumors
Dr. Albert Broders invented a method to grade tumors by severity, creating the foundation for effective treatments.
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1922: Determining insulin dosages for diabetic patients
Dr. Russell Wilder helped validate the safety of insulin and set proper dosage levels for patients, revolutionizing the treatment of diabetes.
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Late 1930s-Mid-1940s: Secret research transforms aviation
Working in secrecy – and charging the U.S. government $1 per year – a team at Mayo Clinic developed the G-Suit (pictured above) and other innovations that helped the Allies win World War II.
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1950: Nobel Prize for discovery of cortisone
Drs. Edward Kendall (left), a laboratory scientist, and Philip Hench (right), a rheumatologist, combined diverse skills in their landmark discovery.
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1955: Opening the era of heart bypass surgery
Mayo Clinic had the first series of successful open-heart operations in the world.
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1956: Introducing the post-operative intensive care unit (ICU)
Mayo Clinic developed a hospital area for patients who needed advanced care after surgery.
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1969: First FDA-approved total hip replacement in the U.S.
In his successful procedure to insert an FDA-approved artificial hip, Dr. Mark Coventry opened the era of joint replacement surgery.
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1973: First CT scanner in North America
Mayo Clinic leaders sent Dr. Hillier Baker to London with instructions to study the new device and purchase one “on the spot” it could help patients.
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2001: Rapid test to diagnose anthrax poisoning
Following the worst bioterrorism attack in American history, Mayo Clinic developed a test for the prompt detection of a dangerous poison.
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