Ken Burns' Film On Mayo Clinic Broadcasts On Tuesday

Ken Burns production of The Mayo Clinic: Faith – Hope – Science will premiere at 8 p.m. next Tuesday on PBS. A repeat of the broadcast will air Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.

The two-hour documentary is narrated by Peter Coyote and features the voices of Tom Hanks, Sam Waterston, Blythe Danner, and Josh Lucas.

The film tells the story of the medical institution that has been called a “Medical Mecca” and has grown into an organization that treats more than a million patients a year. The Mayo Clinic began in 1883 as an unlikely partnership between the Sisters of Saint Francis and a country doctor named William Worrall Mayo after a devastating tornado in rural Minnesota, according to information on Burns' website.

According to the documentary, Dr. Mayo had a simple philosophy he imparted to his sons Will and Charlie: “the needs of the patient come first.”

Through the film, Burns hopes to contribute to discussions about America's delivery of healthcare services.

Burn was executive producer of the film, which is directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers, produced by Julie Coffman and written by David Blistein.

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