Luniece Schless

Michael and Luniece Schless say their Mayo experience has made them "dedicated and lifelong devotees."

For the past four years, we have been searching for a solution to my wife Luniece's colorectal dysfunction. The journey included a failed surgery in our hometown, and visits to surgeons in Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Florida before we had the good fortune to find the gifted staff members at the Mayo Clinic. Their thorough, skilled, professional minds and hands and their compassionate hearts gave my wife the courage to undergo the colectomy that will now give her the ability to lead a normal life free from the pain and anxiety that had plagued her for so long.

I come from a medical family and have seen hospitals in all parts of the country. From my vantage point, three things in particular make the Mayo Clinic unique and superior to all other health care facilities I have ever seen. First, the academic excellence and professionalism that is evident at every level. Second, the team approach to caring for each patient, with each doctor, nurse, and support staff contributing to the assessment, care, and recovery of each patient. And finally, and of particular significance to us, the exemplary manner in which they give the highest priority to the patient in action and in attitude.

Before coming to Rochester, our journey had taken us to a colorectal surgeon in Florida, who, at least on paper, appeared to be one of the most highly regarded experts anywhere in the world. We eagerly awaited our visit with him, and Luniece had prepared a list of questions to be sure she covered everything she wanted to learn. When he entered the room wearing a pin on the lapel of his lab coat that said "Patients First" we were both eager. But when Luniece asked the first question, he responded that if he took the time to answer all of her questions he would not have time to answer the questions of all of the other patients who, like Luniece, had come from all over the world to see him. Eagerness for us quickly turned to despair. Regardless of his skill, there was no way that man was going to treat my wife.

By stark contrast, at Mayo "patients first" is not a mere lapel pin; it is a way of life. While the doctors and their staffs were clearly very busy, we were made to feel that Luniece was their only patient and that they were not going to leave the room until every one of her questions were fully answered and her needs completely met. The kind and generous attitude of Brenda Luther and Dr. Gianrico Farrugia marked the beginning of the healing process for my wife. Their patient caring opened the door for her to trust Dr. Eric Dozois and have the courage to undertake this life-changing surgery.

Our time in Rochester was contemporaneous with that of President Gerald Ford. While he may have occupied a fancier hospital room than ours, we are absolutely certain that the quality of care Luniece received, and the compassion with which it was delivered, was easily the equal of his. It is a tribute to you and the esprit d'corps you have engendered that have made Luniece and me dedicated and lifelong devotees. So, although it is inadequate, please accept our sincerest thanks and our deepest gratitude.

Michael and Luniece Schless