March 9, 2012

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

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March 9, 2012

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 Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.

Thank you.

Karl Oestreich, manager enterprise media relations
oestreich.karl@mayo.edu

Three sisters face breast cancer together

Brenda O’Brien thought she'd gotten her family's share of bad luck when her breast cancer roared back out of remission. But within a year, both her younger sister, Angel, and her older sister, Kathleen, received the same devastating news: They too had breast cancer. “As far as statistics go, I thought, ‘OK, I can handle it. I can deal with it, and they won’t have to deal with it,’” Brenda O’Brien told TODAY, gesturing to her siblings.

Reach: The TODAY Show is the #1 ranked national morning news show and has held that position consistently since December 1995. TODAY reaches an average daily audience of 5.5 million viewers.

Context: Brenda O'Brien is a patient at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and mentions that fact at about 4:25 of the segment. Additional stories: Desert Sun,  Desert Sun, Desert Sun, Desert Sun, Desert Sun.

Public Affairs Contacts: janovsky-mason.julie@mayo.edu, klein.traci@mayo.edu

Stents vs. drugs for heart disease treatment

A recent study on coronary artery disease claims that the process of inserting stents to repair a narrowed artery has no benefit over standard drug treatments. Guests: David L. Brown, professor of medicine at SUNY Stony Brook and the senior author of the recent stent review paper. Chet Rihal, interventional cardiologist at Mayo Clinic and chairman of Mayo's Cardiovascular Division.

Reach: Minnesota Public Radio operates 43 stations and serves virtually all of Minnesota and parts of the surrounding states. MPR has more than 100,000 members and more than 900,000 listeners each week, which is the largest audience of any regional public radio network.

Context: Chet Rihal, M.D., a Mayo Clinic interventional cardiologist, was a guest on MPR’s The Daily Circuit. Dr. Rihal participated in the live 45-minute discussion about a recent Archives study on stents and stable angina with the senior author of the paper, Dr. David Brown of Stony Brook in New York. Dr. Rihal talked about Mayo Clinic’s Cath Lab experience, saying that the percentage of stents placed for stabile angina has decreased as Mayo has learned from research and experience, and changed its practice. David Brown said in response: “As usual Mayo Clinic is on the cutting edge of practice” and “It doesn’t surprise me that Mayo Clinic is out front when practice is changing.” Following the broadcast, MPR included a photo of Dr. Rihal in the radio booth at Mayo Clinic. Adding further context: The Daily Circuit is just a few weeks old on MPR.

Public Affairs Contact: klein.traci@mayo.edu

iPad helps save man's life at Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living Center
By Jeff Hansel

Three Mayo Clinic physicians credit an iPad for saving a patient's life at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. On Feb. 23, Andy McMonigle, 48, felt pounding pressure in his arm. He left his men's cycling club and went to the locker room. With his history of heart trouble, he knew he was in trouble, and asked a nearby man to help. For related story, click here.

Circulation: The Post-Bulletin has a weekend readership of nearly 45,000 people and daily readership of more than 41,000 people. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and southeast Minnesota.

Context: This is a wonderful example of the use of technology to care for patients, and it showcases Mayo Clinic physicians’ compassion to assist patients, even when they are “not on the clock.” The story was also picked up by WCCO, a CBS-owned station in Minneapolis and KAAL, an ABC affiliate in Rochester, Minn. Those stories appear below.

Public Affairs Contact: luckstein.kelley@mayo.edu

Heart Attack Survivor Says An iPad Helped Save His Life
by Lindsey Seavert

Technology may be what the doctor orders during a medical crisis after a Rochester man credited an iPad with helping to save his life. Forty-eight-year-old Andy McMonigle, a Mayo Clinic rehab nurse, was exercising at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, the Mayo Clinic’s fitness center for employees, when he felt severe pain in his arm. His training and medical history told him it was the beginnings of a heart attack. He had a stent put in four years ago after a similar attack.

Reach: WCCO 4 News is the most-watched newscast in the Twin Cities, in 5 out of 7 newscasts. WCCO 4 News is #1 in 5 out of the 7 newscasts for all viewers in the 25-54 age range and WCCO 4 News is #1 in 7 out of 7 newscasts for female viewers in the 25-54 age range.

Public Affairs Contact: luckstein.kelley@mayo.edu

iPad Credited with Saving Life of Mayo Nurse
by Steph Crock

On the night Apple introduced its’ latest iPad, one Mayo Clinic nurse is thankful for the technology. While working out, he realized he was having a heart attack. "I was getting to that point of being very frightened," said Andy McMonigle.

Reach: KAAL is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., which owns all ABC Affiliates in Minnesota including KSTP in Minneapolis-St. Paul and WDIO in Duluth. KAAL, which operates from Austin, also has ABC satellite stations in Alexandria and Redwood Falls. KAAL serves Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa.

Public Affairs Contact: luckstein.kelley@mayo.edu

Could snake venom be a heart-saver?
By Jackie Crosby

Behold the green mamba. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have received a $2.5 million grant to study whether a drug based on the venom of the African snake might stop damage after a heart attack. The drug, an engineered peptide known as cenderitide, already is on a fast track for approval by the Food and Drug Administration for its role in reducing fluid buildup in patients with heart failure, helping to prevent hospital readmissions… "We know even after we put in a stent, there's ongoing damage to the heart cells and the heart muscle cells," said Dr. Horng Chen, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic who identified the new direction of research for the venom-derived drug. Additional coverage: Post-Bulletin, ThirdAge, Twin Cities Business Journal, Business Ghana, HealthCanal

Circulation: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 496,039 copies and weekday circulation is 296,605. The Star Tribune is Minnesota's largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation.

Context: Mayo Clinic issued a news release March 5 about the $2.5 million grant it received from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct a highly innovative research project, “Cardiovascular Peptides and Myocardial Infarction.” The research will seek to further understand the potential of a novel, engineered guanylyl cyclase (GC) activator, cenderitide, to reduce the level of cardiac and renal injury following a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Researchers will try to determine whether the therapy could help prevent deterioration of cardiac and renal function following a heart attack, and potentially reduce further heart failure in the future in treated patients. The story was also picked up by the St. Paul Pioneer Press (below) and a variety of other media outlets.

Public Affairs Contact: klein.traci@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic to study snake venom compound's possible use for heart attack victims
by Chris Snowbeck

Might a peptide derived from snake venom be helpful for heart attack patients? Researchers at the Mayo Clinic will study the question with a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, according to an announcement Monday from the Rochester, Minn.-based clinic… "What we want to do is give the drug as soon as we can to prevent damage to the heart," said Dr. John Burnett, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic. Additional coverage: Outcome Magazine (NY), MarketWatch, SmartGrid, Markus Library News,

Circulation: The St. Paul Pioneer Press has a daily circulation of more than 440,000 readers and its Sunday newspaper has more than 621,000 readers.

Public Affairs Contact: klein.traci@mayo.edu

Waycross hospital is now part of the Mayo Clinic
By Charlie Patton

Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic acquired Satilla Health Services Inc., parent company of Satilla Regional Medical Center, which has been renamed Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross. The acquisition includes a 231-bed hospital, which serves a nine-county area, two nursing homes, a rehab facility and a sleep center. The hospital has emergency and obstetric services. About 1,450 people who worked for Satilla are now Mayo employees. Kenneth T. Calamia, a Mayo Clinic physician, has been appointed chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross. Robert Trimm, president and chief executive officer of Satilla, has been appointed chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross.

Circulation: The Florida Times-Union reaches more than 120,000 daily and 173,000 readers Sunday.

Context: Mayo Clinic issued a news release announcing that Satilla Health Services, Inc., parent company of Satilla Regional Medical Center, joined with the Jacksonville campus of Mayo Clinic effective March 1. Satilla’s new name is “Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross.” The announcement garnered widespread positive media coverage across the southeastern United States and in Minnesota where Mayo Clinic was founded. Some of the additional coverage: Minnesota Public Radio, Miami Herald, Modern Healthcare, Post-Bulletin, Post-Bulletin, MedCity News, Georgia Health News, FierceHealthcare, Jacksonville Business Journal, Kaiser Health News.

Public Affairs Contact: punsky.kevin@mayo.edu

Barron project part of Mayo Clinic's growth

Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minn., will launch $600 million in capital projects this year, including a new emergency department and clinic expansion project at Mayo Clinic Health System-Northland in Barron. Construction on the $9.3 million project - a portion of which had to be redesigned because of higher-than-expected groundwater and weathered bedrock - began last year and is expected to be completed later this year. During a recent press conference, Shirley Weis, vice president and chief administrative officer, estimated Mayo Clinic would spend $700 million per year on capital projects for the next five years.

Circulation: The Leader-Telegram is the largest daily newspaper in west-central Wisconsin. It covers 12 counties with circulations of 23,500 weekdays and 29,800 Sundays.

Context: The construction of a larger Emergency Department at Mayo Clinic Health System – Northland in Barron is just one example of Mayo Clinic reinvesting in the health care of its local communities, said one Mayo Clinic administrator. During a recent conference call with media representatives, Mayo Clinic Chief Administrative Officer Shirley Weis discussed how Mayo Clinic’s financial success in 2011 is allowing it to continue research and capital improvement projects that help patients beyond Rochester, Minn. The 18,000-square-foot, two-story expansion of the Barron Emergency Department is expected to cost $6.9 million and be completed by this fall. “In 2012, Mayo Clinic will launch $600 million in capital projects,” Weis said of the Mayo Clinic enterprise’s collective $610.2 million profit in 2011. “We estimate spending $700 million per year in capital projects for the next five years.” A news release outlining Mayo Clinic’s 2011 performance is here.

“For 20 years, northwest Wisconsin residents have been able to take advantage of the research and clinical expertise pioneered at Mayo Clinic and made possible locally through our Mayo Clinic Health System locations,” said John Dickey, chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.

Public Affairs Contact: meznarich.paul@mayo.edu

Couple’s 3 Kids Have Same Birthday, All Different Years
by Aristea Brady

Having three kids isn’t all that abnormal in family circles. But how about having three children who all have the same day to blow out the candles and eat cake? As of Monday, one couple from Eyota, Minn., can now say all three of their children share a birthday. Carrie and Shawn O’Neill said none of the births were planned and none of the deliveries were induced. We did the math: There’s a .000001 percent chance of this happening.

Reach: WCCO 4 News is the most-watched newscast in the Twin Cities, in 5 out of 7 newscasts. WCCO 4 News is #1 in 5 out of the 7 newscasts for all viewers in the 25-54 age range and WCCO 4 News is #1 in 7 out of 7 newscasts for female viewers in the 25-54 age range.

Context: This is a nice feel-good story that also garnered additional coverage on KTTC, and in the Post-Bulletin. Note: The incorrect reference to Mayo Clinic in the WCCO story has been corrected with the reporter.

Public Affairs Contact: luckstein.kelley@mayo.edu

Treadmill Desks Invented By Doctor To Help Office Workers Keep Fit

If you find it difficult to squeeze in a workout around your busy work life and if your daily exercise routine involves a quick dash to Starbucks for your mid-afternoon caffeine-fix, an American doctor might just have the answer... a ‘treadmill desk’. Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic, is the brain behind a new ‘standing desk’ concept, which is essentially a treadmill with a desk attached, giving a whole new meaning to ‘working on the go’.

Reach: The Huffington Post UK features a unique combination of original reporting, opinion and news aggregation covering politics, technology, education, entertainment and lifestyle. Delivered on a social platform, it is home to a wide range of well-known celebrities, including: Alastair Campbell, Tessa Jowell and Ricky Gervais who all blog alongside our other 1,500 UK contributors. The Huffington Post UK attracts over 1 million unique users each month.

Context: James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, who is often sought out by journalists for his expertise. Dr. Levine has spread his message of daily personal activity around the globe. Basing his techniques of non-exercise activity on years of Mayo Clinic research, he offers cost-effective alternatives to office workers, school children and patients for losing weight and staying fit. Author, inventor, physician and research scientist, Dr. Levine has built on Mayo’s top status as a center of endocrinology expertise and has launched a multi-nation mission to fight obesity through practical, common-sense changes in behavior and personal environment.

Public Affairs Contacts: anastasijevic.duska@mayo.edu, fleming.alyson@mayo.edu, nellis.robert@mayo.edu

U of M, Mayo receive grant to study blood cancer
by Elizabeth Dunbar

Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic have received a $1.35 million grant to study a form of blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome.  The grant from the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics is on top of $2.5 million the university received last year from the National Institutes of Health to study the disease.

Reach: Minnesota Public Radio operates 43 stations and serves virtually all of Minnesota and parts of the surrounding states. MPR has more than 100,000 members and more than 900,000 listeners each week, which is the largest audience of any regional public radio network.

Context: A news release announcing that researchers from the University of Minnesota (U of M) in Minneapolis and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., were awarded $1.35 million by the Minnesota Partnership to combat myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a cancer of the blood that impacts the way the human body develops blood cells, was issued in early March.

Public Affairs Contact: dangor.yusuf@mayo.edu

Tips for coping with eating disorders
by Diana Pierce

With today's focus on NBC's “The Biggest Loser,” it is important to know that about 10 million females and 1 million males suffer from an eating disorder. Eating disorders and obesity are usually seen as very different problems. But they share many similarities: Body dissatisfaction and unhealthy dieting practices. Feb. 26-March 3 is National Eating Disorders Week, and Mayo Clinic's Leslie Sim, Ph.D., and one of her patients, University of Minnesota student Anne Crosby, stopped by KARE 11 News @4 to talk about healthy eating solutions.

Reach: KARE has won the demographic of viewers 25 to 54 years-old in almost every Nielsen ratings sweeps period since the late 1980s, while placing second overall in households at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. since May 2006, trailing rival CBS affiliate WCCO.

Context: Leslie A. Sim, Ph.D., L.P., Mayo Clinic, has joint appointments in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine and Psychiatry and Psychology. Joining Sim on the KARE 4 p.m. Thursday News was her patient, Anne Crosby, who has battled eating disorders. Ms. Crosby is now healthy at age 20 and is a junior at the University of Minnesota. She is studying psychology and plans to go to grad school to major in clinical psychology. Her troubles started when she was 9, struggling with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Over the years her OCD evolved into an eating disorder, reaching a critical stage when she was a senior in high school. When she was admitted to Mayo Clinic in January 2010, she had lost 40 pounds and weighed only 86 pounds at 5 foot 7 inches tall. At Mayo Clinic, she regained 20 pounds over a 46-day hospitalization. With the help of her parents and weekly therapy, Anne is currently at a healthy weight and is focusing her energies on building her future life.

Public Affairs Contacts: hanson.nicholas@mayo.edu, eisenman.rebecca@mayo.edu

For more coverage of Mayo Clinic in the News, please link to our news clip blog here. 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 Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.

Tags: Andy McMonigle, Breast Cancer, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Peptides and Myocardial Infarction, Complementary/Alternative Medicine, coronary artery disease, Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, David L. Brown, Dr. Chet Rihal, Dr. Horng Chen, Dr. James Levine, Dr. John Burnett, Dr. Leslie Sim, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Endocrinology / Diabetes, Facilities, Finanical, Innovation (Center of), iPad, KARE11, Kenneth T. Calamia, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic in the News, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, MPR News, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, National Eating Disorders Week, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Pioneer Press, Psychology and Psychiatry, Research, Robert Trimm, Satilla Health Services Inc., Shirley Weis, snake venom, Star Tribune, Technology, The Florida Times-Union, The Huffington Post UK, The TODAY Show, treadmill desks, TwinCities.com, University of Minnesota, WCCO, Weight, Wellness

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