Mayo Clinic is often thought of as a large multispecialty practice but it runs a substantial inpatient operation, using 1,265-bed Saint Marys Hospital and 794-bed Rochester Methodist Hospital. Mayo Foundation has an Aa2 bond rating from Moody’s Investor Services. In addition to other awards, it won the Quality Leadership Award from the University HealthSystem Consortium in 2010 and the American College of Surgeons recognized Mayo for exemplary outcomes in 2009. Recently, Mayo formed a research alliance with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and indicated an interest in partnering with providers in the Chicago area.