Our History
75th Anniversary
The Mayfield Clinic will celebrate a significant milestone throughout 2012: its 75th birthday.
Founded by Frank H. Mayfield, MD, in July 1937, the Mayfield Clinic has never been just another medical practice. Dr. Mayfield laid the foundation of excellence in neurosurgical care, research, technical innovation and education. He assumed a national leadership role in the field while extending a compassionate and caring reach into the local community.
Those bedrock Mayfield values have never changed. And because the Mayfield Clinic has also been devoted to continuous improvement, it has never stood still. From a small office of three distinguished physicians in the early days of neurosurgery, we have grown to become a robust and internationally acclaimed practice of 27 physicians and 150 associates.
More than 20,000 patients come through our doors each year, and our influence through teaching and research spans the globe. We invite you to join us in 2012 as we celebrate our 75th birthday.
Visit www.MayfieldClinic.com/75 for a full calendar of events.
History of Neurosurgery in Cincinnati
In 1921 the University of Cincinnati was searching for a new head of surgery who would create a world-class surgical section. The position was originally offered to Walter Dandy, MD, of Johns Hopkins, who declined. It was then offered to George Heuer, MD, who accepted and became the first Christian R. Holmes Professor of Surgery (1922-1931). In what became known as the “Hopkins Invasion,” Heuer brought the William Halsted method of surgical residency training to Cincinnati, along with several of Halsted’s residents.
Mont Reid, Noland Carter, Glen Bell, George Heuer
At the time, surgical specialties were not sufficiently developed to stand apart from general surgery or train their own residents. Halsted’s revolutionary residency program set the precedent for surgical training in the U.S. Initially, a prospective resident completed an internship of undefined length. After internship, the residency consisted of six years as assistant resident, followed by two years as house surgeon. The assistant residency period was further subdivided into clinical and research years.
UC became the third postgraduate surgical training program in the U.S., joining the Johns Hopkins and the Peter Bent Brigham hospitals.
Joseph Evans and Frank Mayfield
In 1937 Joseph Evans, MD, and Frank H. Mayfield, MD, were final candidates for a new position to head the neurosurgery division within the UC Department of Surgery. Mont Reid selected Evans for the academic post. Mayfield was about to return home when Sister Theodora offered him a position to start neurosurgery services at Good Samaritan Hospital. He accepted and began his community-based practice. Evans and Mayfield became close personal and professional friends.
In 1948 Evans established the first neurosurgery residency program at UC. In collaboration with Mayfield, the program was expanded with the addition of neurosurgery departments at Christ Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital. Evans is best known for his research in head injury, and his research team was one of the first to record intracranial pressure continuously and to quantify the relationship between ICP and cerebral blood flow.
In 1954 Evans was succeeded by Robert L. McLaurin, MD, who is best known for his interest in head injury and pediatric neurosurgery. McLaurin established and directed pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital and was a founder and chairman of the AANS/CNS Pediatric Neurosurgery Section.
As the neurosurgical program grew and developed, Cincinnati became identified as a center of excellence in neurological surgery. In 1970 the American Board of Neurological Surgeons approved the establishment of an independent neurosurgical training program at Christ Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital. Cincinnati was now home to two neurosurgical residency training programs.
The Mayfield Clinic supported the research and educational goals of Mayfield and his associates. With the exemplary support of Christ Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital, the following decade was characterized by remarkable growth of the Mayfield Clinic and its graduate medical education program. In 1977, Dr. Mayfield passed the torch of leadership to John M. Tew Jr., MD.
In 1983, Tew was appointed professor and chairman of the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. As chairman of two neurosurgical residency programs, Tew was in a unique position. Understanding the needs of the community and the historical development of neurosurgery in Cincinnati, Tew moved to merge the two programs, reasoning that both the community and the discipline could best be served by combining the strengths of each program.
Unification was achieved in 1984, when the Division of Neurosurgery was granted departmental status and Tew was appointed professor and chairman. The relationship between Mayfield and the university continues today and is governed by a formal agreement.
In 2002 Tew passed the torch of leadership to Raj K. Narayan, MD, who is best known for his interest in traumatic brain injury. Under his leadership the residency program was expanded to three residents per year; the clinical trials program was expanded; and a neurocriticial care program was established at University Hospital.
In 2009 Mario Zuccarello, MD, assumed leadership upon Narayan's departure. Zuccarello, now the Frank H. Mayfield Professor and Chairman, is internationally known for his surgical skill and research interests in cerebrovascular surgery. Under Zuccarello’s leadership, several significant NIH research studies have come to UC, including COSS, MISTIE and CREST.
The History of Neurosurgery in Cincinnati exhibit was on display April - June 2009 at the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions.
Download a print version of the exhibit [.pdf]