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CEO Dr. John Noseworthy stressed how intertwined the future's of the clinic and the city are at the annual Mayo Clinic community luncheon Wednesday.
"We're successful at Mayo, because of everything you do," he told the crowd in the Mayo Civic Center. "I believe you will continue to be successful as long as Mayo Clinic continues to be successful. The next 100 years are very promising for you, your business, your family, your loved ones, because of what you do … because of what we do together."
This was the 20th version of Mayo Clinic's annual presentation to the community. Originally, it was a yearly breakfast on Mayo Clinic's campus, where invited local leaders were told about the clinic's plans for the coming year.
The breakfast later evolved into a luncheon. And in 2016, the focus shifted as a wider audience was invited and it became a conversation of what the community would like to accomplish with Mayo Clinic's help.
This year's event featured a discussion among the attendees about diversity and inclusion. The audience was divided into four areas — Lifelong Learning, Nurturing Neighborhoods, Social Connections and Economic Opportunities.
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That discussion, facilitated by the Rochester's Diversity Council, followed Noseworthy's talk about Mayo Clinic's 2016.
"Financially, it was another strong year in a very, very competitive marketplace," he said.
Noseworthy added that health care is becoming more complex.
"Thankfully with all of the advances, folks are living longer. But they're living longer with chronic illness… Budgets are tight for research and education… reimbursement is shrinking," he said. "Together, we can navigate this diverse and pluralistic time."
Dee Sabol, the executive director of the Diversity Council, picked up on Noseworthy's comments as she led the audience is a discussion activity.
"Pluralism and inclusion are critical to making our community work," she said.
