The record number of surgeries in one day -- 297 -- might have seemed a stupendous feat any time at Mayo Clinic. But the staff performed the scheduled surgeries while a blizzard raged outside. 

Nurses, doctors, technicians and assistants began calling each other in the middle of the night with messages like, "I don't think I can get out.""Can you pick me up on your way?""Do you need help clearing your driveway?""Hey, I can trade shifts if needed."…

"It's just such a typical Mayo Clinic story," said Dr. John Noseworthy, the clinic's new national president and CEO.

Post-Bulletin, 12/1909

Tags: blizzard, Mayo Clinic Rochester, snow, surgeries