Mayo Clinic founders and brothers, Drs. William J. Mayo and Charles H. Mayo understood the value of bringing together people with diverse talents, backgrounds and beliefs to best serve their patients. Their father, Dr. William Worrall Mayo instructed that "no one is big enough to be independent of others." He knew that the best patient care required a team of physicians, allied health professionals, scientists and educators working together.

Today, Mayo Clinic staff continue this commitment, cultivating a caring service environment where individual differences are valued and respected, and diversity of thought, gender, ethnicity and background is integrated into every level of the organization.

This commitment to diversity is woven into the fabric of Mayo Clinic's strategic plan through clear objectives for education, communication, and recruitment and retention.

Diversity statement

Mayo Clinic staff value and promote diversity. Diversity refers to all the characteristics that distinguish individuals or groups from one another. It includes distinctions based on race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran's status, or status with regard to public assistance.

The goal of Mayo Clinic staff is to create a caring service environment where individual differences are valued, allowing individuals to achieve and contribute to their fullest potential. Benefits of embracing this goal include:

• Diversity of viewpoints and perspectives in concepts, initiatives and decision making
• Greater innovations and creativity
• A broad pool of qualified employees, enabling recruitment and retention of the best talent

An environment that nurtures and supports the fullest contributions of each individual is essential to success in patient care, education and research. Creating and sustaining this climate are the responsibilities of each individual who provides care, directly or indirectly, or learns at Mayo Clinic.

Diversity initiatives

The Diversity Oversight Committee serves as a forum for creation, prioritization and oversight of diversity goals and objectives. The committee promotes patient and staff diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organization and aligns operations across all Mayo sites.

A variety of diversity initiatives provide guidance, nurture relationships within the Mayo work force and community, and enhance understanding of diverse peoples and cultures.

Continuous professional development

Cultural and linguistic competence in staff and students is supported to ensure culturally sensitive patient care and behavior. All employees and students participate in orientation and annual diversity instruction. Patient care staffs receive cultural competency training.

Communication

Commitment to diversity and inclusion with key internal and external audiences is advanced through communication of core principles and policies, recognition and promotion of successful diversity initiatives and site-specific communications plans.

Recruitment and retention

Mayo Clinic recruiting strategies are designed to increase representation of minorities and women in all job categories and training programs where they may be underrepresented. This commitment to fostering greater staff diversity is supported by:

• Systemwide diversity metrics
• Mentoring processes at the work unit level
• Annual assessments of success in hiring and retaining a diverse work force

Education

The College of Medicine at Mayo Clinic fosters diversity and inclusion among students, trainees and staff through its Office for Diversity. These opportunities and initiatives target underrepresented minorities to encourage careers in health care:

• Career Development Program
• Physician-Scientist Champions
• Minnesota's Future Doctors

Social communities

More than 500,000 patients from nearly 150 countries come to Mayo Clinic for diagnosis and treatment each year. These patients, their families and friends, and more than 50,000 employees and students are part of a global Mayo Clinic community.

Diversity networking groups have been formed by many members of Mayo's international community. Groups showcase their countries' heritage, traditions and cultural and social practices, facilitate their members' orientation and integration into Mayo Clinic and the community, and provide open forums for conversation.

Vibrant virtual communities encourage new connections among staff, students and the public. Examples include:

• Social media, including the Sharing Mayo Clinic Blog on Facebook, follow@mayoclinic on Twitter and many YouTube videos, provide a virtual place for this diverse community to connect and share their experiences.
• The College of Medicine Diversity in Education Blog provides students a place to connect with each other and with those outside Mayo Clinic who are interested in working or receiving medical training here.

Supplier diversity

The Supplier Diversity Program ensures equal access to Mayo Clinic purchasing opportunities for all qualified suppliers. It also promotes supplier participation reflective of a diverse business community.

Diversity at Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Diversity at Mayo Clinic in Florida

Diversity at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota