FAMILY TIES : Mayo Scion Gets Fine, Rebuke
The grandson of one of the founders of the Mayo Clinic has been fined $4,000 by the Minnesota Board of Medical Examiners for not diagnosing illnesses in his patients.
During his 16 years with Group Health in the Twin Cities, Dr. Charles H. Mayo II failed to diagnosis lung cancer in one patient, leukemia in another, skin cancer in a third, and a broken forearm in a fourth, according to a document signed by Mayo and Dr. George B. Martin, chairman of the board’s discipline committee.
The four cases were among nine on which the board criticized the 59-year-old family doctor, citing records provided by the health maintenance organization. Group Health submitted copies of its internal review of Mayo to the board in 1987, about the time Mayo left to go into private practice.
“It wasn’t like he had nothing but problems,” Group Health spokeswoman Pam Effertz said. “He was getting good results with many patients. As a matter of fact, some people will tell you what a caring doctor he was, and how he would give some elderly patients a ride home himself.”
Mayo said he felt “put upon,” and that his famous name was a factor in the review.
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