Mayo Clinic Receives its Largest Gift Ever

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) -- A corporate strategist from Michigan has given Mayo Clinic its largest gift ever -- $200 million.

The Rochester-based medical center announced Tuesday that its School of Medicine will be named for the philanthropist, Jay Alix, of Birmingham, Michigan. He has also been named to the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees.

Alix says his interest in Mayo began in the 1980s when he studied its business model as he was creating what would become AlixPartners, his consulting firm. The Alix Foundation has given Mayo millions of dollars in recent years toward improving its clinical care.

The latest record gift is aimed at helping prepare the medical school for the future and make medical education more affordable.