October 22, 2026 - 6:30 pm -7:30 pm
Join us for a special Boardwalk Talk celebrating the 40th anniversary of Mayo Clinic in Florida and the release of Virginia Wright Peterson’s Mayo Clinic in Florida: A Legacy of Dedication, Innovation, and Excellence.
Presented in conjunction with the traveling Mayo Clinic in Florida 40th Anniversary exhibit on display at the Beaches Museum throughout October, this program offers a unique opportunity to learn about the institution’s legacy through the stories and records that preserve its history. Whether you’re interested in local history, medicine, or the evolution of healthcare in our community, this talk provides an engaging look at an important chapter in Northeast Florida’s past.
The exhibit will be on display in the Museum lobby throughout October and is free to view during regular Museum hours.
“The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered.” — William J. Mayo
From its earliest days, Mayo Clinic has been defined by a simple idea: that the best care happens when experts work together, guided by a singular focus on the patient. On the Florida campus in Jacksonville, that idea found new expression on a bold scale. Today, Mayo Clinic in Florida is a destination medical center for patients drawn by its world-class expertise. Spanning a 600-acre campus, it brings together more than 40 specialties with nationally recognized excellence in areas such as transplant medicine, cancer care, and neuroscience. Here, innovation is not an abstract goal but a daily practice—whether advancing organ transplantation, developing new cancer therapies, or translating research into patient care. Physicians, scientists, and educators collaborate seamlessly, creating an environment where breakthroughs move quickly from laboratory to bedside. More than a regional expansion, Mayo Clinic in Florida stands as a powerful extension of a century-old philosophy, proving that the Mayo model of care can thrive anywhere it is rooted in an unwavering commitment to those it serves.
Virginia Wright-Peterson is an author and educator with a special interest in untold stories, especially women’s history and the history of Mayo Clinic. She worked in Mayo Clinic administration in Jacksonville, Florida when the campus opened in 1986. Wright-Peterson also served as a Fulbright Scholar in Algeria and worked with the American Red Cross on a U.S. military base in Iraq. Her three previous books, including Women of Mayo Clinic: The Founding Generation, were finalists for a Minnesota Book Award. Wright-Peterson lives in Minnesota.
