December 7, 2012

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

By Karl Oestreich

 

 

December 7, 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

Reuters
Most U.S. internists don't stay in primary care: study
by Genevra Pittman

Less than a quarter of new U.S. doctors finishing an internal medicine training program planned to become a primary care physician instead of a specialist - a move that could worsen the primary care doctor shortage in some parts of the country… Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota analyzed surveys of close to 17,000 young doctors in the final year of an internal medicine residency program. Just under 22 percent said they would become a primary care physician… "There have been recent estimates that in the next decade or so, we may be as much as 50,000 primary care physicians short in the United States," said Colin West, one of the authors.

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:  Chicago Tribune, FOX News, San Francisco Chronicle, Newsday, WebMD, Forbes, TopNews, Martinsville Media, DoctorsLounge, Science Codex, Healthline, Medscape, MedPage Today, Family Practice News, US News & World Report, HealthDay, Bloomberg, Yahoo! News, ABC News Radio, News Medical, Clinical Advisor, Medical Daily, KABC Radio, HealthLeaders Media, FierceHealthcare.

Context: This study appeared in the Dec. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Colin West., M.D., Ph.D., the lead author, is a General Internal Medicine physician at Mayo Clinic. His research focuses primarily on physician well-being, evidence-based medicine and biostatistics, and medical education.

News Release

Public Affairs Contact: Alyson Fleming

NY Times
Taking a Stand for Office Ergonomics
by Steve Lohr

…But a closer look at the accumulating research on sitting reveals something more intriguing, and disturbing: the health hazards of sitting for long stretches are significant even for people who are quite active when they’re not sitting down. That point was reiterated recently in two studies, published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine and in Diabetologia, a journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes…DR. JAMES A. LEVINE of the Mayo Clinic is a leading researcher in the field of inactivity studies. When he began his research 15 years ago, he says, it was seen as a novelty. “But it’s totally mainstream now,” he says. “There’s been an explosion of research in this area, because the health care cost implications are so enormous.”

Circulation: The New York Times has the third highest circulation nationally, behind USA Today (2nd) and The Wall Street Journal (1st) with 1,150,589 weekday copies circulated and 1,645,152 circulated on Sundays.

Context: James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist who is often sought out by journalists for his expertise. 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.

Related Story:
NY Times
Field Notes in Ergonomic Diversity: Standup Workers Speak
by Steve Lohr

Dr. Michael Roizen marches, in steady, measured steps, at the forefront of the upright workers movement. That “movement” is not a union uprising, but a reference to the growing numbers of office workers who are rising from their chairs to stand, even walk, for health reasons…Chairs, of course, are not enemies. “Even if you took all the chairs away, as humans we would find a way to sit,” said Dr. James Levine of Mayo Clinic, a leading researcher in the field of inactivity studies. The problem, as with so many things, is a matter of degree — sitting too much. The research suggests that damage begins after a person is sitting continuously for an hour or more.

Public Affairs Contacts: Bob Nellis, Traci Klein

Prevention
Get A Pet—Doctor's Orders!
By Arden Moore

Years ago, Charlene Bromley, 67, relied on a wheelchair or a cane for mobility. Diagnosed with lung cancer while living with multiple sclerosis, the Cedar Rapids, IA, woman felt devastated and depressed…Bromley's doctor, Edward Creagan, MD, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, agrees. "Many times, the family pet can motivate a patient to give her best effort to deal with a serious illness such as cancer," says Dr. Creagan. "About 5 years ago, I began asking my patients about their pets, and it was amazing to see the smiles illuminate their faces. Today, I write down the name of pets whenever I take a medical history."

Circulation: For 60 years, Prevention has delivered information, breaking news and energizing lifestyle advice that women can use today for a happier, healthier, stronger life. Prevention’s average newstand sales are more than 226,000 and is the 14th largest consumer managezine in the United States.

Context: Edward Creagan, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic oncologist. He has authored approximately 400 scientific papers and given about 1,000 presentations throughout the world. He is also the author of "How Not to Be My Patient: A Physician's Secrets for Staying Healthy and Surviving Any Diagnosis" and medical editor-in-chief of "The Mayo Clinic Plan for Healthy Aging," both best-selling books. Dr. Creagan was a featured speaker at Mayo Clinic's Transform 2012 conference.

Public Affairs Contact: Alyson Fleming

Jacksonville Business Journal
Mayo Clinic Florida makes top hospitals list
by Michael Clinton

Mayo Clinic Florida is the only hospital in Northeast Florida and one of two hospitals in Florida to make Leapfrog Group’s 2012 Top Hospitals list. The list is made based on the results of Leapfrog’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality. Mayo earned an “A” for patient safety in the grades that were released last week. See how all of the region’s hospitals graded on Leapfrog's list here…“We strive every day to provide the highest quality of care to our patients,” said Dr. William Rupp, CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, in a news release.

Circulation:  The Jacksonville Business Journal is one of 61 newspapers published by American City Business Journals.

Context:  Mayo Clinic was recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation by the Leapfrog Group, an independent, national nonprofit organization run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. Only 92 U.S. hospitals were named to the 2012 Top Hospitals list from a pool of about 1,200 vying for the award. Three from Mayo Clinic made the list:

News Release

Public Affairs Contacts: Nick Hanson, Kevin Punsky, Jim McVeigh

MPR, Ovarian cancer study shows promise
by Liz Baier

A new Mayo Clinic study shows diabetes patients with ovarian cancer who took the drug metformin for their diabetes had a better survival rate than patients who did not take the drug.  Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncology fellow Sanjeev Kumar says the study found 67 percent of patients who took the drug survived after five years, compared with 47 percent of those who did not take the drug.

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.

Additional coverage: HealthDay, MyHealthNewsDaily, PhysBizTech, FOX News Latino, FOX News, CBS News This Morning, Zee News, Newsday, Onlymyhealth, redOrbit, WJTV Ala., WebProNews, HealthAIM, KSBY Calif., Diabetes UK, Medical Daily, Mother Nature Network, Toronto Sun, ThirdAge, News Medical, WTEV Jax, Argentina Star

Context: Diabetic patients with ovarian cancer who took the drug metformin for their diabetes had a better survival rate than patients who did not take it, a study headed by Mayo Clinic shows. The findings, published early online in the journal Cancer, may play an important role for researchers as they study the use of existing medications to treat different or new diseases. "Our study demonstrated improved survival in women with ovarian cancer that were taking metformin," says co-author Sanjeev Kumar, M.B.B.S., a Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncology fellow. "The results are encouraging, but as with any retrospective study, many factors cannot be controlled for us to say if there is a direct cause and effect. Rather, this is further human evidence for a potential beneficial effect of a commonly used drug which is relatively safe in humans. These findings should provide impetus for prospective clinical trials in ovarian cancer."

Public Affairs Contacts: Kelley Luckstein, Brian Kilen

News Release

MPR
Prostate cancer scan advance helps Mayo doctors with early detection
by Lorna Benson

When treating cancer patients who suffer a second bout of the disease, doctors know catching the recurrence soon is crucial to the patient's chances of survival.  But that's been a challenge with prostate cancer, because doctors depend on a test that measures levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, in the blood. PSA is a protein produced by prostate cells, and when men have prostate cancer their levels of the protein are often elevated.  In men with recurrent disease, rising PSA levels can suggest that their cancer isn't cured.  "It's like a puff of smoke that's signifying an early fire," said Dr. Eugene Kwon, urologist at Mayo Clinic who treats patients with advanced prostate cancer. 

Reach: See MPR story above.

Additional coverage: MinnPost

Context:  Mayo Clinic has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to produce and administer Choline C 11 Injection an imaging agent used during a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to help detect sites of recurrent prostate cancer. Mayo Clinic is the first, and currently only, institution in North America approved to produce this imaging agent. "This technology is a game changer," says Eugene Kwon, M.D., a urologist at Mayo Clinic. "In stark contrast to conventional imaging, PET imaging with Choline C 11 Injection can help identify sites of recurrence for tissue sampling and examination when a patient's PSA level reaches 2 ng/mL — months or even years earlier than before. This technology also allows us to pinpoint the locations of recurrent cancer more accurately and permits us to develop more effective treatment strategies."

News Release

Public Affairs Contacts: Joe Dangor, Brian Kilen

Post-Bulletin
Reservists train at Mayo Clinic before deployment
by Jeff Hansel

Minnesota's 945th Army Reserves Forward Surgical Team, led by Col. Walter Franz, a Mayo Clinic family physician, is preparing again for an overseas assignment. Members of the team treat wounded U.S. soldiers, civilians and those fighting against the U.S. and allies — in essence, every person who arrives injured at the team's tents. The team is at Mayo Clinic's Multidisciplinary Simulation Center this weekend for training prior to deployment. Five-person teams comprised of a nurse, two medics, an anesthesia provider and a trauma doctor can practice scenarios they are likely to face near the front lines of combat.

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.

Additional Coverage: KAAL, KTTC

Context: The Mayo Clinic Multidisciplinary Simulation Center provides a controlled environment that imitates a real-life patient care setting. In a simulated situation, learners master skills without putting patients at risk.

Public Affairs Contact: Sharon Theimer

WEAU Eau Claire
That time of year for the common cold

It's been going around our workplace...has it been going around yours? We’re talking about the dreaded common cold. Sniffles, coughs and sneezes are common sounds you hear at the office this time of year, and it's no surprise. There's about a million other places you'll want to include on your "disinfect" list this season!... Dr. Paul Loomis with Mayo Clinic Health System says the good news is he hasn't seen many cases of flu so far this year. "Most of it has been upper respiratory infections caused by viruses and so we're seeing people come in with sinus infections, cough, fever, congestion that type of thing."

Reach: WEAU-TV is the NBC affiliate for much of western Wisconsin, including Eau Claire and La Crosse. WEAU is licensed to Eau Claire and its transmitter is located in Fairchild, Wisconsin.

Context:  Paul Loomis, M.D.,  Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health System, Eau Claire says the good news is he hasn't seen many cases of flu so far this year. "Most of it has been upper respiratory infections caused by viruses and so we're seeing people come in with sinus infections, cough, fever, congestion -- that type of thing." He says the typical cold can last about one to two weeks. "The challenge with immune system and viruses…there's so much complexity and variations." So if you've been suffering for several days it may not necessarily mean you have something worse. Some people can be sick from a virus for only a day or two. "There’s really no set rule that says how long things should last. Sometimes we'll see viruses that linger for a while and so what we look for is worsening symptoms," explains Dr. Loomis.

Public Affairs Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist

Arizona Republic
Mayo Clinic’s alliances brings results
by Wyatt Decker, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona

To paraphrase one of our founders from the early 1900s, a "union of forces" is necessary so patients can benefit from advancing knowledge. That has become a mantra at Mayo Clinic and the foundation of our thinking in medical research. The concept of working together for the greater good is alive and well in the Valley there is a general spirit of willingness to collaborate to achieve results. Collaboration moves the needle. It has led to cutting-edge medical advancements and amazing growth in biosciences in the Valley.  Our collaborative relationships with Arizona State University, TGen and Phoenix Children's Hospital offer hope to patients and a glimpse into the future of medicine.

Circulation: The Arizona Republic reaches 1.1 million readers every Sunday. The newspaper’s website Arizona Central, averages 83 million pages views each month.

Context: Wyatt Decker, M.D. is Mayo Clinic Vice President and Chief Executive Office in Arizona.

Public Affairs Contact: Jim McVeigh

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