The Mayo Clinic: Faith Hope Science

Originally called the "miracle in the cornfield," the Mayo Clinic began to take shape in 1883 in the aftermath of a deadly tornado. A partnership between Catholic nuns and a family of country doctors was formed with handshake agreements, and ultimately Minnesota's Mayo Clinic became one of the world's most prestigious hospitals. This fascinating story of the institution and key individuals folds the evolution of medicine into the story of the Rochester clinic. The 19th century was brutal on the patient and from its inception, the Mayo Clinic sought to push the patient to the forefront of treatment, and that has never changed. New ideas, new philosophy, and new equipment have long been embraced by the clinic, and viewers witness current examples of how that thinking still exists. Linked with institutional history (featuring voice-overs by Tom Hanks and Sam Waterston) are the personal stories of patients and the ways that the clinic has saved lives.