Mayo Clinic To Invest $5B In New Campus With 'Health Neighborhoods'

Mayo Clinic is planning a complete redesign of its Rochester, Minnesota, campus, eliminating the traditional healthcare model and creating “health neighborhoods” in its place.

The $5B campus will add five new buildings totaling 2.4M SF constructed between St. Marys Hospital, the system’s oldest facility, and its newer buildings in Rochester's downtown area. The facilities will connect to Mayo Clinic's Gonda building and are slated for completion in 2030.

The neighborhoods, on a site fitted with new zoning laws, are part of Rochester's 20-year Destination Medical Center economic development plan, which centers on the new campus. Commercial development is happening in support of this plan, including a transit line, logistics center and 800 parking spots. The initiative will redevelop some sites already standing, such as the demolition of the former Lourdes school building to make way for a support facility. 

Neighborhoods will aim to streamline patients' medical needs by offering multiple services in one place. Patients will have access to the care from labs, consultations, imaging and clinics for services, like surgery or recovery, that typically require multiple appointments across multiple buildings in a traditional hospital setting.

"Healthcare is often felt by patients as being fragmented and episodic," said Craig Daniels, who is leading the project, according to MPR News.

Leaders say technological advancements using artificial intelligence and automation will assist in magnifying patient care and making it more efficient, according to MPR News.

Mayo leaders said they hope the health neighborhoods will provide continuous care to patients that require extensive treatment. The campus will focus on treating patients who have multiple health concerns, such as a relapsed cancer patient who is also pregnant, Daniels said. 

The initial plan for the campus was announced in June after the passage of the Nurse And Patient Safety Act. The law provides comprehensive workplace violence prevention measures, student loan debt forgiveness for nurses and nursing faculty and scholarships for childcare for those completing nursing programs. The Mayo Clinic threatened to pull millions of dollars of investments out of Minnesota healthcare if they weren't excluded from the bill. 

The Mayo Clinic is also in the process of building its largest facility in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and plans to spend $130M to add five stories, totaling 250K SF, to its Jacksonville, Florida, campus.