Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Laura Wuotila with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Thank you.
Editor: Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Carmen Zwicker
Wall Street Journal
How One Family Faced Difficult Decisions About DNA Sequencing
by Amy Dockser Marcus
… Giusti realized that whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing—sequencing someone’s complete DNA or an impo
rtant section of it—might yield information about the family’s cancer risk, particularly for her daughter, Nicole, 21, and her 18-year-old son, David. So, Ms. Giusti proposed an idea to A. Keith Stewart, the director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine: sequence my immediate family, and let’s study all the information. Dr. Stewart, curious about why identical twins got two different types of cancer, agreed.
Reach: The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, has an average circulation of 2.3 million daily which includes print and digital versions.
Context: Individualized medicine, also known as personalized medicine or precision medicine, means tailoring diagnosis and treatment to each patient to optimize care. Patients have experienced this kind of care for a century and a half at Mayo Clinic, where teams of specialists have always worked together to find answers. The Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine is solving the clinical challenges of today and tomorrow by bringing the latest discoveries from the research laboratory to your doctor's fingertips in the form of new genomics-based tests and treatments. A. Keith Stewart, M.D. is the center's director.
Contact: Bob Nellis
Wall Street Journal
The Price We Pay for Sitting Too Much
by Sumathi Reddy
New research is helping medical experts devise formulas for how long a typical office worker should spend sitting and standing… Michael Jensen, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who specializes in obesity and diabetes, uses various ways to reduce daily sitting time that he also recommends to his patients. When he has meetings with just one or two people, he finds a place where they can walk together instead of sitting. And he tells his patients who are parents to use their children’s athletic events as a time to be on their feet. “There’s no reason you have to sit and watch those games,” Dr. Jensen said.
Reach: The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, has an average circulation of 2.3 million daily which includes print and digital versions.
Additional coverage:
Good Morning America — Debunking Fitness Myths: Standing Desks; The Australian
Context: Michael Jensen, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. Dr. Jensen and his lab studies the effects of obesity and how body fat (adipose tissue) and body fat distribution influence health. The regulated uptake, storage and release of fatty acids from adipose tissue play a major role in determining its health effects.
Contact: Bob Nellis
Star Tribune
Mayo receives $9M federal innovation grant
by Jeremy Olson
Mayo Clinic will receive up to $9 million in federal funding to help affiliated doctors and clinics outside Rochester adopt some of the team-based
medical techniques and integrated care that have been hallmarks of its success… “Health care is too expensive,” said Dr. Kari Bunkers, medical director for Mayo’s Office of Population Health Management. “This is our effort at reducing the high cost of health care and implementing a model that delivers more for less.”
Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation.
Additional coverage:
Wall Street Journal — Grants Aim to Boost Patient Care
Context: The Mayo Practice Transformation Network is one of 39 health care collaborative networks selected to participate in the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, announced today by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. Mayo Clinic will receive up to $9.7 million to provide technical assistance support to help equip clinicians in the Mayo Practice Transformation Network with tools, information and network support needed to improve quality of care, increase patients’ access to information and spend health care dollars more wisely. This initiative is a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic Office of Population Health Management (OPHM) and the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery (CSHCD). It is led by principal investigator Nilay Shah, Ph.D., health services researcher in the CSHCD, and co-principal investigator Kari Bunkers, M.D., primary care physician in the Mayo Clinic Health System and medical director of the OPHM. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.
Contact: Elizabeth Zimmerman Young
Reuters
Kids with asthma fare worse when they live with smokers
by Lisa Rapaport
Kids with asthma are more likely to have breathing problems and be hospitalized when they live with a smoker, a research review suggests…For 
asthmatic kids, breathing in cigarette smoke was also linked to a more than tripled risk of poor lung function and 32 percent higher odds of wheezing symptoms. While the risk of smoke exposure exacerbating asthma symptoms is well known, fresh evidence on the extent of the danger posed to children may help convince some parents to abandon their cigarettes, said senior study author Dr. Avni Joshi, an allergist and immunologist at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minnesota.
Reach: Thomson Reuters is the world’s largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile and interactive television platforms.
Additional coverage: Yahoo! Canada, International Business Times, HealthDay, Nursing Times, CBS News, Medical Express, KYTX Texas, University Herald, US News & World Report, com, Medscape, Philadelphia Inquirer, KIMT
Context: The risk for hospitalization doubles for kids with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a study led by Mayo Clinic Children’s Research Center. “The results of this review serve as a reminder to parents of just how dangerous it is to expose their children to secondhand smoke,” says Avni Joshi, M.D., senior author and pediatric allergist and immunologist at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center. “We knew that kids should not be exposed to tobacco, but how bad their asthma is likely to be with tobacco exposure was not clear. This study helped us quantify that risk, and so it informs as well as empowers us with the risk assessment. A child is twice as likely to end up in the hospital with an asthma flare if family members continue to smoke.” More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.
Contact: Kelley Luckstein
NY Times — D.A. Panel Weighs Complaints on Essure Contraceptive Implant by Sabrina Tavernise — A panel of experts convened by the Food and Drug Administration excoriated the manufacturer of a contraceptive device for not collecting data that they say could have helped predict risks for women. The device has received thousands of complaints from women who say they were harmed by it…In a statement Thursday night, the company said it believed the panel’s suggestions "support the continued safe and appropriate use of Essure." Several of the panelists questioned why it was so difficult for women to find a doctor who was trained in removing the device. Many of the women, in desperation, simply had a hysterectomy, which Dr. Charles Coddington, of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, said was “like shooting flies with a cannon.” (An earlier version of this article misstated the affiliation of Dr. Charles C. Coddington. He is an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, not the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
NY Times Magazine — The Politics of Pantyhose by Troy Patterson — Corporate dress codes are barometers of the standards of polite society. Between the lines, they also articulate the limits within which power may permissibly intrude on personal space. Consider, then, the dress and decorum policy of the Mayo Clinic, which is, among other distinctions, a hospital where your doctor is likely to turn up wearing a suit. The text leaves no don’t undone: Bluejeans, fleeces, hiking boots — all forbidden. No casual Friday has ever mussed its calendar. And so Mayo’s recent abolishment of its hosiery requirement amounts to a little rip in a large tradition. Virtually all the women on its staff were effectively liberated from pantyhose in June, only five years behind the sister missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wall Street Journal — Why Patients Remember Little Doctors Tell Them by Kate Dudgeon — (Dudgeon specializes in health care in her role as senior strategist at Continuum, a global innovation design consultancy, and formerly served at a service designer at the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation.) Picture this: A middle-aged man sits in an exam room with a neurologist. The neurologist looks away from the computer screen, which is covered with incomprehensible lines of text and numbers — his test results. Her expression is a little too hard to read as she places her hand on his shoulder and says that the results aren’t good.
Forbes — With High-Tech Apartment Block, Mayo Clinic Wants Volunteers To Live The Lab Rat Life by Sarah Hedgecock — The Mayo Clinic is setting up a floor in its in-house incubator that takes examining volunteers in clinical studies to a new level. Subjects will be tracked by pressure-sensing carpets, smart fridges, air quality sensors, and multiple cameras. This rich data will provide information about how people work or live, and how small changes to the environment could have big effects…“This will be the first chance – I think – that we’ll bring people into an office lab that’s very much like a real office environment,” said Dr. Brent Bauer, the Well Living Lab’s medical director. The first subjects will likely be employees from elsewhere in the building, revealed Bauer. “Many of them already volunteer for other Mayo studies.” Additional coverage: KAAL, Reuters
Post-Bulletin (MPR) — Ceiling cracks: Women step into Mayo Clinic's top academic posts by Liz Baier — Dr. Heidi Nelson still remembers the doubters after she became Mayo Clinic's first female surgeon a quarter century ago. She had to win credibility with colleagues — and find ways to convince patients she was the surgeon. "I had to develop a strategy where I'd walk into a room with my card, and I would engage them with eye contact and with verbal presence ... I'm Dr. Heidi Nelson, I'm a colorectal surgeon on staff. I'm here to answer questions and care for you. Here's my card,'" she recalled recently. Previous coverage in Sept. 25, 2015 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights
DarkDaily — Mayo Medical Laboratories Gathers Pathologists and Other Experts to Share Lessons Learned and Successes in Improving How Physicians Utilize Lab Tests…Last week a national gathering of pathologists and laboratory professionals gathered in the Mile High City to share success stories and identify the best approaches to helping physicians better utilize lab tests. This one-day conference on laboratory test utilization was organized by Mayo Medical Laboratories and the Mayo Clinic as part of its 27th Annual Conference on Laboratory Outreach. The keynote speaker was Michael G. Rock, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Mayo Clinic Hospitals/Mayo Foundation and an at-large member of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and its Executive Committee.
TIME — 5 Diet Mistakes You’re Probably Making by Jessica Brown…Go to sleep earlier Lack of shut-eye can add flab, says a Mayo Clinic study that found that sleep-deprived people consumed an extra 549 calories per day, compared with those who were well-rested. Try to follow the National Sleep Foundation’s guidelines and get seven to nine hours a night.
Huffington Post (Reuters) — Massive Review Of 58 Studies Confirms Serving Size's Effect On Diet…While plate size may matter, downsizing dishes alone may not be enough to help people lose weight, said Dr. Donald Hensrud, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program in Rochester, Minnesota. "The obesity epidemic is a result of a number of different and complex influences," Hensrud, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email. "Recommending smaller plates is just one piece of a very large puzzle."
Reader’s Digest — How to Checkup on Your Doctor…Do you practice within a health-care system? — You may love your doctor of 40 years, but if he’s still operating a solo practice unaffiliated with a health-care system (think Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania), you’re missing out. Studies find that these integrated systems of care—in which primary-care physicians work closely with specialists, doctors communicate with one another about their patients, and clinicians get feedback about their performance—provide a much higher quality of care, often at lower costs!
Reader’s Digest — 10 Medical Marvels You Might Have Missed… A “super vaccine” recognizes cancerous cells… Once the vaccine prompts the immune system to recognize those sugars as a threat, the body’s natural defenses can destroy the cancerous cells without harming healthy tissue. According to the Mayo Clinic and University of Georgia (which are collaborating on the vaccine), MUC1 can be found on more than 70 percent of deadly cancers, including breast, lung, pancreatic, and some colon tumors.
KDUZ Radio — Flu Season Right Around The Corner — Health officials say the beginning of fall is a good time to get a flu shot, before the virus begins to ramp up. Dr. Stephen Campbell is with Mayo Clinic Health System in south-central Minnesota and says “True influenza is probably one of the worst respiratory illnesses you’ll ever get. It’s characterized by high fever, sore throat, horrible body aches, horrible cough. People feel like they have been hit by a truck.
WEAU Eau Claire — Eau Claire Heart Walk set for Saturday, woman shares her story of surviving a heart attack…Michelle Kennedy suffered a heart attack in January. It happened when she was at work at the Menomonie Walmart...The ambulance brought Kennedy to the Mayo Clinic Health System Cath Lab in Eau Claire. Dr. Fearghas O'Cochlain and his team placed a stent in Kennedy's heart. After her procedure, Kennedy did eight weeks of cardiac rehab. She's also worked hard to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Dr. O'Cochlain said what a patient does after a heart attack is most important. He said the procedure treats the problem, but it doesn't change the underlying cause.
Post-Bulletin — DMC budgets lean on city funding by Andrew Setterholm — In the vision of the Destination Medical Center Corp. board members, the next year of DMC efforts will key on building momentum and marketing Rochester and Mayo Clinic across the U.S. and around the world…"The budget that is provided (for) the EDA has been the source of a lot of discussion, but is really designed to leverage off of the significant investments Mayo is making in this area, with most of the focus on the economic development," said Jeff Bolton, DMC EDA board chairman and Mayo chief administrative officer. Additional coverage: KTTC, KIMT
University of Arkansas News — Nursing Student Receives Experience of Lifetime Through Summer Externship — Bridget King, a senior in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas, wanted to do something this summer that related to nursing so that she could keep up with her studies. Fortunately enough, she was granted the opportunity to shadow three clinical coaches for 10 weeks when she was selected for an externship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "I was really intimidated at first; the hospital was huge and I have never been in a hospital that prestigious before," said King, who is from Germantown, Tennessee.
Your Alaska Link — Heart Disease Survivor Shares His Story to Raise Awareness in Alaska by Marissa Silver — Around 1 AM on April 25, 2007, Joe Kocienda woke-up and was not able to swallow and had severe pain in his chest, so he drove himself to the Emergency Room. "Went through a series of tests, they ruled out a heart attack, did a CT scan, a bunch of other blood work and that kind of stuff, so they really didn't find anything and they sent me home and my blood pressure was really high at the time as well," said Joe Kocienda who is a Heart Disease Survivor…"Had another bunch of aneurysms that developed and also my aortic valve was faulty and was leaking and went to the Mayo Clinic on a scheduled surgery and got that fixed and it's been a little bit of a roller coaster ride over those three years, but I"m here now and it's good," Kocienda said.
San Luis Obispo Tribune — Mayo Clinic News Network: Five ways individualized medicine is improving health care — How is individualized medicine working? Let us count the ways. Mayo Clinic Vice President Dr. Gianrico Farrugia recently highlighted five areas in which the knowledge and know-how from the human genome will be most influential in patient care, not just at Mayo Clinic, but anywhere in the nation and globally.
Cure Today — Delicate Difference: More Surgical Options for Prostate Cancer by Beverly Caley — When Jon Spelman, 73, was diagnosed with prostate cancer six years ago, he didn’t have any trouble deciding on a course of treatment. “I was not going to live with cancer in my body,” says Spelman. “I opted for surgery, the sooner the better.”… The next development in prostate surgery in the U.S. was the use of advanced robotic systems equipped with laparoscopic tools, according to Mitchell Humphreys of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
Becker’s Health IT & CIO Review — Mayo Clinic CISO Jim Nelms resigns by Akanksha Jayanthi — Jim Nelms has stepped down from his position as chief information security officer of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, according to a Post Bulletin Mr. Nelms had been with Mayo since March 2013. In an email to the Post Bulletin, Mayo spokesman Karl Oestreich said, "We are thankful for the contributions Jim has provided to Mayo Clinic since 2013, including the formal establishment of the Office of Information Security. We wish Jim success in his future endeavors."
Peter Herald — St. Peter Hospital Commission approves River’s Edge Clinic closure by Dana Melius…While River's Edge Hospital & Clinic CEO George Rohrich said the “decision point” had been expected to come in October, plans surfaced Wednesday which will likely close the facility before the end of November. Rohrich told commission members talks will continue with Mankato Clinic officials, with hopes of eventually moving the St. Peter-based Daniels Health Center from its U.S. Hwy. 169/Hwy. 22 site to the River’s Edge Hospital campus. Two weeks ago, Rohrich had announced plans to restructure clinic operations at the financially strapped St. Peter facility. Talks, he said, were taking place with Mankato Clinic and Mayo Health Systems to consider alternatives.
Cannon Falls Beacon — Mayo ED has new physician's assistant — Trent Whitcomb, physician assistant, recently joined the team of health care providers at Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls. He will primarily see patients in the Emergency Department. As a physician assistant, he will work with the rest of the health care team and consult a physician if needed to diagnose and treat patients who are experiencing a medical emergency. He has special interest in orthopedic trauma.
Thrive -- Chicago Sun-Times — Sit down for most of the day? You should be fidgeting by Diana Jones…Too much sitting is linked with heart disease and cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. It also has been tied to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol. Of course, getting up and walking around is always a good idea. The Mayo Clinic suggests trying to fit a little motion into your day by standing up when you are eating lunch or talking on the phone, and taking walks with coworkers rather than meeting in a conference room.
Boulder News — Coroner: Ironman Boulder athlete died of dehydration, excessive exercise by Alex Burness — Brian Godlove, the Virginia man who died after competing in Ironman Boulder in August, was killed by dehydration and rhabdomyolysis associated with excessive exercise, the county coroner ruled Thursday. Godlove, of Fairfax, Va., died Aug. 5 at Boulder Community Health. Less than 72 hours prior, he completed the swim and cycling portions of the Ironman race, but not the final running leg. He was taken from the race course to the hospital. Rhabdomyolysis results from the death of muscle fibers and can be brought about by extreme muscle strain, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Medscape — Consider Frailty, Not Only Age, When Choosing Myeloma Drugs by Susan Mayo…Paying More Attention to Assessing Frailty in Practice — Commenting on the study, Keith Stewart, MB, ChB, consultant in hematology-oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, told Medscape Medical News: "What this is highlighting is that myeloma is a disease of the elderly, and we should be paying more attention to assessing the frailty of the patient using a formal frailty score, particularly when we start to use more complicated chemotherapy regimens and try to extrapolate results from younger patients."
KAAL — Disaster Simulation Helps Doctors Prepare For Mass Tragedy by John Doetkett — First responders are always prepared for emergencies, but should a large scale tragedy occur, the situation is much different. To prepare for such an event, Mayo Clinic staff, students, and volunteers held a mass tragedy simulation on Saturday morning. Over 140 doctors, EMTs, communications coordinators, and actors gathered at the Gamehaven Scout Reservation for the fourth annual "Bounce Day" community-wide disaster simulation. A fake bus crash simulated a trauma event, but to up the stakes, actors were also infected with an unknown zombie virus. "We continue to use zombies because it gives us a chance to simulate an infectious disease," said Dr. Robin Molella, medical director for the event. "It also levels the playing field. Nobody is an expert in this disease because it doesn't exist." Additional coverage: KIMT
Business Standard — Mayo Clinic to set up cancer institute in Odisha — US-based cancer institute Mayo Clinic will set up a national-level cancer institution in Odisha for treatment of cancer patients, an official said on Monday. Apart from treatment of cancer patients, the institute will also carry out research and training programme in cancer. This was decided on Monday, when Debabrat Mukhopadhyaya, representative of the clinic met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at state secretariat here. "Mayo clinic in the US, a top global cancer research institute, is interested in setting up a cancer research institute in Odisha," said a release from the Chief Minister's Office.
Modern Healthcare — Healthcare data mining: OptumLabs collaborative begins to offer insight about what works by Melanie Evans — Diabetic patients are a popular target population for health systems that hope to improve patients' health with better care coordination and closer management. But new research from an insurer-owned, big-data analytics project suggests diabetes management can be too aggressive. The findings are some of the first to come out of OptumLabs, a research collaborative owned by UnitedHealth Group's management and analytics subsidiary Optum, of which the Mayo Clinic is a founding partner. Now in its third year, OptumLabs has produced nearly two dozen studies and expanded its membership and ambitions.
KAAL — Nurses Say They Saved Man's Life During Med City Half Marathon — Last weekend kicked off the first ever Med City Fall Half Marathon and participants say four of the runners ended up saving a man's life. Today we talked to one of the nurses who says he and three others came upon a runner who was going into cardiac arrest and needed medical attention. He says they didn't hesitate to help doing chest compressions. "Weather was perfect that day. It was a great day for a race and we get past mile 12 and pretty soon we see a runner who needed help and so we take action immediately, helped him up saved his life and then we all head into the finish line together", says Mayo Clinic Nurse Matthew Goens.
WEAU Eau Claire — WI woman urging people to get flu shot after near-death experience — Allison Miller, who is a former anchor and reporter at WEAU, says she never really thought about getting the flu shot before, but around March of last year, what started as cold-like symptoms, turned into a 3-month hospital stay. Miller says complications from the flu forced doctors to put her on life support, and she had to have her leg amputated… If you'd like to get a flu shot, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire says you can call and make an appointment starting on Monday, September 28th. The official kick-off date for flu shots at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse will begin October 12th.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel — Price slide on Exact Sciences gives investors a second chance by Kathleen Gallagher — With investing, as in life, there's nothing like a second chance. After a recent stock price slide, investors have such an opportunity with Madison-based Exact Sciences Corp. (EXAS), said James T. Evans, chief investment officer at Thompson Investment Management Inc., Madison. Evans recommended Exact just about a year ago, when shares of the maker of Cologuard, a DNA-based, noninvasive test for detecting colon cancer, were trading below $20. Back then, Exact was in the early stages of bringing Cologuard to market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had recently approved it to be sold commercially, and Mayo Clinic had said it would be the first health system to offer it. But Exact was waiting for a decision on pricing from Medicare.
Fushion — How much is our weight really in our control? — by Taryn Hillin… Michael Jensen, a professor of endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism, and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic, told me that most of his patients are aware their weight is a problem. Yet even with that awareness, they struggle to lose the pounds. “Some have surgery and they still can’t make the behavior changes they need to,” he said. “But that means there could be something [else] going on there: behavioral, hormonal, or psychological.”
Times of India — Mayo Clinic plans cancer hospital in state — The iconic US-based Mayo Clinic has evinced interest in establishing a cancer institute in the state. Mayo representative Debabrata Mukhopadhyaya on Monday met chief minister Naveen Patnaik with a proposal in this regard, a government statement said. According to the proposal, apart from treatment of cancer, the non-profit medical care and research chain would conduct research and training programmes on cancer. Additional coverage: Pragativadi, Odisha Diary, Economic Times
Austin Daily Herald — Austin High School, Pacelli High School and Mayo Clinic cleared from lockdown by Eric Johnson — Austin Police and Mower County Deputies responded Monday afternoon to Austin High School after a report of a fight and possible gun outside the school. Law enforcement responded at around 3:15 p.m. for a fight taking place outside the southwest entrance of the school, possibly involving a gun. According to other reports both Pacelli and Mayo Clinic Health Systems-Austin were locked down as well. Officials for Mayo Clinic Health-Systems confirmed that it had been on lockdown and that it is standard procedure for incidents like this.
Jacksonville Daily Record — Cancer therapy firm calling Jacksonville home by Mark Basch…TapImmune Inc. describes itself as an “immunotherapy” company that is researching and developing treatments for cancer and infectious diseases. Its move to Jacksonville is likely tied to its relationship with the Mayo Clinic’s facility in Jacksonville, which recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense for a trial of a breast cancer treatment licensed by TapImmune. TapImmune said Mayo Clinic also has a financial interest in the company, but TapImmune’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings do not list Mayo as holding 5 percent or more of its stock.
The Diane Rehm Show — NIH Head Francis Collins On New Efforts To Use Medical Records Of Volunteers To Treat Diseases — The National Institutes of Health is recruiting one million volunteers to create a new national data base of genetic profiles, medical histories and treatment outcomes. The head of the NIH talks about what this information will mean for treating cancer and other complex diseases and how privacy concerns are being addressed. (Mayo Clinic is mentioned)
Post-Bulletin — New medical coding system aims to help track quality of care — Mayo Clinic has its hands full adapting to a massive new coding system that goes in effect on Thursday. All the nation's physicians and hospitals must start using the new coding system to describe patient visits on insurance claims…According to a Mayo Clinic statement about the conversion, the coding expansion affects not only clinicians "but staff in a range of departments, from finance and IT to research analytics." The Clinic provided no hard numbers but said "thousands of employees have been involved in either successfully converting Mayo Clinic to ICD-10 or in learning how to use ICD-10."
Post-Bulletin — Zombies are here: What would you do? by Andrew Setterholm…Saturday marked Rochester's fifth year of Bounce Day, and this year, the scenario simulated a combination epidemic disaster and traumatic disaster: zombies. Rochester and its key organizer, Dr. Robin Molella, modeled Bounce Day after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public preparedness campaign. "The CDC said, 'If we can respond to a zombie apocalypse, we can respond to anything," said Dr. Philip Hagen, a Mayo Clinic physician in preventive, occupational and aerospace medicine.
Saskatoon Homepage Canada — Mayo Clinic News Network: Mayo Clinic Q and A: Many factors play into increased heart disease risk for those with RA — ANSWER: Studies have shown that if you have rheumatoid arthritis, your risk of developing heart disease is two to three times higher than people who do not have the disorder. Although the exact connection between the two conditions is unclear, a number of factors seem to play into the increased heart disease risk. Regular check-ups, tests to check for heart problems, lifestyle changes and being able to recognize symptoms of heart disease can all help manage the risk.
The Eye of Dubai — Mayo Clinic And Cleveland Clinic From USA To Organize The 5th Cardiovascular Disease Conference In Dubai…"It’s a privilege to return to the UAE for this important conference on cardiovascular diseases, the number one cause of death globally,” said Joseph F. Maalouf, M.D., course director and cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. "We’re excited to collaborate with our peers at Cleveland Clinic to share expertise and new approaches to advance cardiovascular care."Additional coverage: Trade Arabia,
Forbes — Antibacterial Soap Is No More Effective Than Regular Soap, So Why Are We Still Buying It? by David DiSalvo…As we enter cold and flu season, your best anti-illness ally is vigorously washing your hands with regular soap and water to remove viral particles. Check out this tip sheet from the Mayo Clinic on hand-washing do’s and don’ts, and here’s a video from Consumer Reports if you need a visual.
Daily Mail UK — Women who suffer mental or physical abuse have WORSE menopause symptoms - including difficulty sleeping, sexual dysfunction and mood swings by Madlen Davies — Abuse causes menopausal women to suffer worse symptoms, a new study has warned. Physical, sexual and emotional or verbal abuse heightened side effects of the change of life including trouble sleeping, sexual functioning, and mood swings…Women who suffer mental or physical abuse have WORSE menopause symptoms - including difficulty sleeping, sexual dysfunction and mood swings.
Florida Times-Union — Knowledge of cancer risk empowers patients to act by Sandy Strickland — It’s a simple blood test that could dramatically change your life. Many women want to know if they carry a gene mutation that puts them at high risk to develop breast cancer. Some don’t want to deal with the emotional fallout… “Having knowledge of the risk gives you the power to do something about it,” said Stephanie Hines, chair of the Division of Consultative and Diagnostic Medicine at Mayo Clinic. “I do think it’s important to know if you have that risk.”
Florida Times-Union — To be there for grandsons, Orange Park woman decides to get tested for cancer risk by Cristin Wilson — Elisha Canady of Orange Park has no problem telling you that her grandson isn’t your average 6-year-old…Based on her family’s medical history, which includes a mother who died from ovarian cancer, her doctor suggested that she get a BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic test.… Ravin Williams, a genetic counselor at the Mayo Clinic (she didn’t meet with Canady), said most occurrences of breast cancer are actually sporadic. She said only between 5 and 10 percent is hereditary, but if someone has a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer, then it makes sense to consider testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
KIMT — Nurses learning even more to help patients — A group of local nurses not only wore their scrubs on Tuesday but they also got to put on their thinking caps. The so-called Pop Up MIT Markers Lab made an appearance at the world famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester this week. The lab, which includes many common items like legos, casting material, and fasteners, is meant to engage the nurses in problem solving.
Chicago Tribune — When your mother isn't around, this shirt will tell you to sit up straight by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz…When your mother isn't around, this shirt will tell you to sit up straight… James Levine, director of obesity solutions at Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University, said big fidgeters may have better health outcomes because they move more in their lives generally, as fidgeting is the brain's way of telling the body to move. Products that promote any kind of muscle engagement also make people more conscious of fitness generally, he said. "The best product of all is a pair of shoes," he said.
Rockford Register Star — 2 physician groups merge with OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford by Kevin Haas — Two surgical groups that have served Rockford for decades have merged under OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. The Rockford Surgical Service, founded in 1950, and Perryville Surgical Associates, which started in 1992, have joined OSF Medical Group's team of 650-plus physicians and advanced practitioners. …As part of OSF Surgical Group-Rockford, surgeons will have access to Mayo Clinic. OSF Healthcare joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network in 2013.
Bustle — 7 Little Ways To Take Better Care Of Yourself Because You Deserve It by Teresa Newsome…6. Limit Screen Time — Your brain needs rest just like the rest of your body, and one of the best ways to rest your brain is to unplug, according to Alexandra Duron of Greatist. Work breaks into your day where you can skip screen time, such as for an hour at both lunch and dinner time. It's best to skip screens at bedtime, too, according to the Mayo Clinic, because it disrupts your sleep patterns.
Star Tribune — Unpaid care costs fall at hospitals in Minnesota, state Health Department says by Chris Snowbeck — The Health Department report showed Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) was the largest provider of unpaid care during 2014 followed by two Mayo Clinic hospitals in Olmsted County. In interviews with the Star Tribune earlier this year, HCMC officials attributed the decline to the federal health law while Mayo Clinic pointed to overall efforts to control the cost of care.
Star Tribune — The state of the future of Minnesota's labor force by Bruce Corrie — A lot hinges on the economic health of the African, Latino, Asian and Native American communities…In fact, if we took all the jobs that ALANA firms created in 2012 — more than 60,000 — this number was larger than the number employed by Minnesota’s largest employer, the Mayo Clinic (around 40,000, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development).
Shape magazine — The Female Brain: Why Do We Cry More Than Men? by Charlotte Andersen…And the higher your estrogen levels, the more emotional you'll feel. (Hello, PMS!) This may also explain why women are more likely to have certain mental health issues than men, as women are twice as likely to struggle with depression as men, according to the Mayo Clinic.
KTTC — Business owners discuss impact of workforce on southeast Minnesota economic growth…Destination Medical Center's growth will have an outstanding impact on business all across southeast Minnesota. DMC estimates Rochester alone could see an increase of nearly 35,000 jobs…With Mayo Clinic playing a large role in DMC, there are concerns about their baby boomer generation on the verge of retiring, leaving a number of open positions.
Post-Bulletin — Six finalists compete in Mayo's Think Big — Six entrepreneurial health-care firms have been named finalists in the first Mayo Clinic Think Big Challenge. They will compete on Thursday at Mayo's Transform 2015 conference for two $50,000 awards. Sponsored by Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation, Mayo Ventures and AVIA Health Innovation, the Mayo Clinic Think Big Challenge celebrates innovative ideas in two areas. They are "I Got Health" -- promoting health maintenance and prevention -- and "I Am Not My Disease"--– helping people with chronic illnesses live better, productive lives. Additional coverage: Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
Arkansas Online — Morgan making most of opportunity… At 11 a.m. Thursday at the University of Arkansas' Greek Theater, Broyles will unveil the Hog Call Challenge, the foundation's next fund-raiser encompassing three caregiving entities…The Hog Call Challenge benefits not only the Broyles Foundation but also the Mayo Clinic for its dementia and caregiving research. It also benefits the University of Arkansas' Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, which reports it has delivered 100 percent of its graduates into full employment within a year of their graduation.
HealthDay — Abused Women Struggle With More Severe Menopause Symptoms: Study — Older women who suffer abuse may have more severe menopause symptoms, a new Mayo Clinic study suggests. In particular, researchers found a strong correlation with verbal and emotional abuse and menopause-related problems…"We found that those reporting abuse in the last year had higher mean total MSB (menopausal symptom bother) scores and higher scores for each of the identified menopause symptoms with the exception of hot flashes and night sweats," said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic Office of Women's Health. "In particular, we found a strong correlation with verbal and emotional abuse." Additional coverage: US News & World Report, Medical News Today
Braindecoder — Mind-Erasing Sex and Other Odd Triggers of Sudden Amnesia by Agata Blaszczak Boxe…The sudden disruption of short-term memory all these people experienced is known as transient global amnesia. The condition lasts up to 24 hours and is not accompanied by other neurological conditions, according to a 2015 review of previous research, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. …This type of amnesia is a benign condition, said one of the review authors Dr. Alejandro A. Rabinstein of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "It is not a prelude to dementia. It is not, from what we know, a prelude to stroke or epilepsy," he told Braindecoder.
KIMT — Mayo Clinic offers resources to help parents who use tobacco quit by DeeDee Stiepen — Pediatricians at Mayo Clinic are hoping that if parents won’t quit smoking for themselves, they’ll quit for the well-being of their kids. They have a family based tobacco control program which offers resources and services to parents or guardians that use tobacco. “A child who comes to see my in clinic, if a parent is a smoker, we are offering nicotine dependence counseling, and nicotine replacement supplies free of cost,” explains Avni Joshim M.D. a Pediatric Allergist at Mayo Clinic.
Gulf News — The ‘good’ cancer? It doesn’t feel that way by Emily Mullin —Thyroid cancer’s reputation, based on statistics, is misplaced. More than that, it ignores the condition’s impact on the sufferer’s quality of life…Robert Smallridge, deputy director of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Jacksonville, says patients often come to him very worried even though they have been told that thyroid cancer is the “good” cancer. This dichotomy often makes them feel that they are not entitled to complain or even feel bad.
HealthDay — Less Sleep May Mean Less Sex After Menopause — Too little sleep may lead to too little intimacy for postmenopausal women, a new study finds…"We found that insomnia was associated with lower sexual function," study author Dr. Juliana Kling, of the Mayo Clinic, said in a society news release. She added that the next step in her research will be to see how sleep and sexual function relate to each other over time. Additional coverage: WebMD
WKBT La Crosse — Report: 37 victims died last year in Wisconsin due to domestic violence by Brittany Schmidt…“I think when people think about domestic violence, they think bruises, a lot of those outside signs that someone could be arrested for, but most the time, it's more subtle,” said Natalie Makepeace, a social worker at Mayo Clinic Health System. Domestic violence homicides in Wisconsin have gone down over the years. In 2012, 48 people died at the hands of their abusers. In 2013, 43 people lost their life to domestic violence, and last year, 37 were killed.
HealthLine — Calcium Supplements Don’t Lower Risk of Bone Fractures, Researchers Say… Robert A. Wermers, Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, said the median dietary calcium intake for people over the age of 50 in the United States is 589 to 646 milligrams a day. In an email to Healthline, Wermers explained that when calcium is deficient, a person’s body will utilize calcium from the skeleton, something that can weaken bones.
ABC News (AP) — Dalai Lama Blesses Followers After Release From Clinic — The Dalai Lama greeted dozens of followers who waited outside a civic center in Minnesota on Wednesday for a chance to see the Tibetan spiritual leader after his recent release from the Mayo Clinic. Security guards surrounded the Dalai Lama as he emerged from his vehicle and called the group over to him, touching their hands and blessing them. The appearance by the 80-year-old Dalai Lama in Rochester followed his stay at the Mayo Clinic, where doctors had instructed him to rest. He canceled his October appearances in the U.S. as a result. Additional coverage: FOX9, CTV News, Grand Forks Herald, Reuters, Pioneer Press, Star Tribune, Yahoo News
Star Tribune — Minnesota Tibetan community relieved to see healthy-looking Dalai Lama by Pam Louwagie — Members of Minnesota’s Tibetan community were elated and relieved Wednesday morning after meeting with the Dalai Lama in Rochester and seeing that he looked to be in good health. “He’s very, very well,” said Thupten Dadak, founder of the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota…The religious leader had been at the Mayo Clinic for a medical evaluation and canceled his U.S. appearances for October after doctors advised him to rest. The clinic said Wednesday that he is no longer a patient there. The religious leader has routinely sought medical care at Mayo.
Star Tribune (AP) — Secretary for Dalai Lama says health checkup at Mayo Clinic is routine — A spokesman for the Dalai Lama says the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader is in Rochester for a routine annual health exam. Secretary Chime Rigzin says test results at the Mayo Clinic are fine and that the 80-year-old Dalai Lama has no health complaints. The Dalai Lama has made routine visits to Mayo Clinic in past years for health exams. Additional coverage: NY Times, CBS News, ABC News, KAAL, KTTC, Winona Daily News, San Francisco Gate, Post-Bulletin
Tibet Sun — Dalai Lama remains in US clinic for health check — Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, on Sunday remained at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for evaluation following a medical visit his office said was a routine annual check-up. The 80-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate had cancelled a planned October visit to the United States at the advice of doctors following a medical check-up this week, his office said in a statement on Friday. Additional coverage: AOL.com, Sun Times, MPR, The Star Phoenix, NYC Today, Chicago Tribune
Post-Bulletin — Dalai Lama cancels events after health checkup — The University of Colorado says it has been informed the Dalai Lama has canceled U.S. appearances next month after a checkup at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The school says it was told of the cancellations Friday by the Office of Tibet in Washington, D.C. He had been scheduled to appear there Oct. 20. Additional Coverage: NY Times, The Guardian, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, com, CNN, MSN.com, BringMeTheNews, TIME, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Star Tribune, HNGN.com
Star Tribune — Training camp: Day 2 done, injury free by Jerry Zgoda — The Wolves have completed their second day of training camp at their new Mayo Clinic Square facility and came through another 3.5-hour session, according to interim Sam Mitchell, still injury free. "If there are any bumps and bruises, I don't want to hear about it anyway," he said. "That's just natural."
KIMT — Reach Out and Read — Some children may find themselves kicking and screaming all the way to the doctor for their appoints. Luckily, Mayo Clinic Health System- Albert Lea and Austin are providing a program called Reach Out and Read. This program focuses on literary readiness and improving language skills in young children. A patient receives a take home book for every well-child visit. These children must be from six months to five years in age. The staff at Mayo Clinic believe that this is a good program for young minds.
Post-Bulletin — Overheated motor sends fire crews to Mayo building by Kay Fate — The motor inside the dumbwaiter system of a Mayo Clinic building overheated Tuesday afternoon, sending Rochester firefighters to the scene for reports of smoke. The call came in about 4 p.m., after Mayo maintenance personnel at the Harwick Building, 205 Third Ave. SW, discovered the source of smoke they'd been smelling for about an hour, officials said.
Post-Bulletin — Mayo receives $9.7M to improve patient care — Mayo Clinic will receive $9.7 million from the U.S. Department of Human Services in an effort to better coordinate health care across peer-based networks. The Mayo Practice Transformation Network will use the money to support 1,200 clinicians, in hopes of giving patients better access to information and reducing health care costs, according to a Mayo press release.
San Luis Obispo — Ankle sprains: Pain free does not mean normal — The American College of Sports Medicine says 25,000 people sprain their ankles every day in the United States. Some of those injuries recover over time on their own - or do they? A recent New York Times article sites studies that confirm what Mayo Clinic experts have known for a while. Ankle sprains are not simple injuries. Without proper training of muscles to support the joint after a sprain, ankles can easily be re-injured. Mayo Clinic researchers did two studies related to this idea. Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine specialist Dr. Edward Laskowski says one study finds that after an ankle sprain, muscles don't contract normally, leading to instability.
By Blacks Canada — Why Sitting Really Is The New Smoking by Dr. Nekessa Remy…Our bodies are just not designed for the idle position associated with prolonged sitting. Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative compared sitting to smoking, he’s coined the term “sitting is the new smoking” due to the irreversible negative effects prolonged sitting can have on one’s health.
POLITICO — POLITICO Pulse…JOIN US THIS MORNING TO TALK HEART HEALTH: Today’s the day! The Pro Health Care team is hosting a discussion this morning bright and early focused on chronic conditions, baby boomers and policies that can motivate healthy personal change. Rep. Renee Ellmers, MedStar Heart's Susan Bennett and the Mayo Clinic's Raymond Gibbons will join the conversation.
El Universal, Niños asmáticos con padres fumadores duplican hospitalizaciones. El riesgo de requerir una hospitalización se duplica en los niños con asma que están expuestos al humo de segunda mano, dice un estudio dirigido por el Centro de Investigación Pediátrica de Clínica Mayo. "Los resultados de esta revisión sirven como recordatorio a los padres de cuán peligroso es exponer a sus hijos al humo de segunda mano", comentó Avni Joshi, autora del trabajo y alergóloga e inmunóloga pediátrica de Clínica Mayo.
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