The Mayo Clinic: Faith - Hope - Science — a two-hour documentary on the Rochester, Minn.-based health system's 150-year history produced and directed by Ken Burns — will air Sept. 25 on PBS.
The showing will begin at 9 p.m. ET with a repeat broadcast on Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. ET.
"We're honored that acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns' genuine passion for history and his curiosity of our medical heritage sparked interest in producing a documentary about Mayo Clinic," said Mayo Clinic President and CEO John Noseworthy, MD. said "He and his associates have undertaken the extraordinary challenge of telling our 150-year story, chronicling the rich history and pioneering contributions of our founders to our work with seriously ill patients today."
The documentary chronicles the story of William Worrall Mayo, an English immigrant who started practicing medicine with his sons in Rochester, Minn.
The Mayos took charge of recovery efforts with the help of the Sisters of St. Francis after a deadly tornado devastated their community in 1883 — an event that launched the clinic on its path to being a worldwide model for collaborative patient care, research and education.
The documentary also features interviews with patients who have sought treatment at the clinic, including John McCain and the Dalai Lama.
"The history of healthcare is a larger reflection of who we are as a nation," said executive producer Ken Burns. "It includes advances in science and technology, but also touches on more universal themes of love and compassion. This is an extraordinary story that places our fundamental need to care for each other within the larger framework of America's healthcare system and modern medicine."
Erik Ewers, Christopher Loren Ewers, David Blistein and Julie Coffman worked with Mr. Burns on the film.