Ask Mr. Answer Person: "Is there a record of the first person from Winneshiek County referred to the Mayo Clinic?"

Steve e-mails Mr. Answer Person: "Since the Medical Center is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and Mayo Clinic is celebrating their 150th Anniversary, is there a record of the first person from Winneshiek County referred to the Mayo Clinic by an area doctor from our local hospital for treatment and surgery?"

Mr. Answer Person says: "We can give you at least a partial answer.  Winneshiek Medical Center and Mayo Clinic have ties back to the early 1900s when Dr. George Kessel was appointed Chief of Surgery for Decorah Hospital in 1917.  According to research done by the WMC Community Relations Staff, Dr. Kessel knew the Mayo brothers personally and collaborated with them on a regular basis. 

That means the first patient referred to Mayo Clinic from the Decorah hospital might have been someone living around 100 years ago.  Although the name of that patient has been forgotten, it's safe to assume that there were referrals to Mayo Clinic dating back to at least 1917."

By the way, Dr. Kessle played an important role in another hospital.  Although he was a Winneshiek County native, he started a hospital in his home in Cresco in 1902.  For information on his role in that hospital, visit http://www.rhshc.com/history-of-hospital