The Mayo Clinic and UnitedHealth Group announced a new research institute Tuesday that will pool data on more than 110 million patients as part of an effort to help scientists study ways to improve medical care and lower costs. The two Minnesota powerhouses said the project, called Optum Labs, could become health care's version of "Bell Labs," the 20th-century idea factory that sparked such innovations as the transistor and the laser… Dr. John Noseworthy, Mayo's president and CEO, called the project the "largest effort of this type in the country." He said it would help scientists see how patients fare over time, comparing treatments and outcomes.

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Star Tribune by Maura Lerner

Tags: Business Relations, Dr. John Noseworthy, Facilities, Industry News & Competitive Intelligence, Mayo Clinic, MPR, Optum Labs, research institute, Star Tribune, UnitedHealth Group