March 7, 2014

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

By Karl Oestreich

Mayo-Clinic-in-the-News-300x80 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

Steamboat Today
Yampa Valley Medical Center announces new partnership with the Mayo Clinic

...Yampa Valley Medical Center has announced a new partnership with the Mayo Clinic that will give physicians here the ability to consult with thousands of the clinic's specialists across the country. "We couldn't be more proud to have this relationship with this organization," hospital CEOSteamboat Today newspaper logo Frank May said Wednesday morning in a packed conference room as he was flanked by the Mayo Clinic's vice president and medical director. "This elevates our game."

Reach: Steamboat Today is a daily newspaper serving Steamboat Springs and the surrounding areas in Routt County, Colo. with a circulation of 7,000. Its website receive more than 30,500 unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage: Post BulletinHeard on the Street: Mayo Clinic adds Colorado health-care provider as new member

Context: Mayo Clinic and Yampa Valley Medical Center officials announced this week that the Steamboat Springs hospital is the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The network connects Mayo Clinic and health care providers who are interested in working together to enhance the delivery of locally provided high quality health care. Yampa Valley Medical Center is the second hospital in Colorado to be invited to join the network. More information about the announcement can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Public Affairs Contact: Jim McVeigh

Wall Street Journal
The Debate Over Juice Cleanses and Toxin Removal
by Melinda Beck

…Consuming more vegetables is great, mainstream doctors and nutritionists agree. But they dismiss the detox claims as a confusing jumble of The Wall Street Journal newspaper logoscience, pseudoscience and hype. They argue that humans already have a highly efficient system for filtering out most harmful substances—the liver, kidneys and colon..."Nobody has ever been able to tell me what these toxins are," says Donald Hensrud, an internist and nutrition specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Reach: The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, is second in newspaper circulation in America with an average circulation of 223 million copies on week days.  Its website has more than 4.3 million unique visitors each month.

Context: Donald Hensrud, M.D., is Chair, Mayo Clinic Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine in Minnesota. Dr. Hensrud's research focuses on obesity, nutrition and disease prevention, physical activity and health promotion, and clinical preventive medicine.

Public Affairs Contacts: Bob Nellis, Traci Klein

 

Philadelphia Inquirer
Getting Teeth Pulled Before Heart Surgery May Pose Serious Risks

If you're a heart patient, you might be wise to wait to have any infected teeth pulled if you're about to have cardiac surgery, a new study suggests. Philadelphia InquirerIn a small, retrospective study, Mayo Clinic researchers found that 8 percent of heart patients who did not wait to have teeth pulled suffered major adverse health outcomes, such as a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or death.

Circulation: The Philadelphia Inquirer has a daily circulation of more than 350,000 readers. Philadelphia Inquirer - Online has more than 1.7 million unique visitors to its website each month.

Additional coverage: Winnipeg Free PressNewsMedical.NetNew Jersey HeraldMyFoxTampaBayHealthYahoo!.netUPI.comKEYC (Mankato)Tech Times, State ColumnMedical ResearchYahoo! Health, NIH Medline Plus, MSN.com, ScienceDaily, CBSAtlanta.com, WDAM.com (Mississippi), KNOE.com (Louisiana), MyFoxDFW (Dallas based in Las Vegas), MyFoxNewYork, HawaiiNewsNow 

Previous Coverage in Feb. 28, 2014 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

Context: To pull or not to pull? That is a common question when patients have the potentially dangerous combination of abscessed or infected teeth and the need for heart surgery.  In such cases, problem teeth often are removed before surgery, to reduce the risk of infections including endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart that can prove deadly.  But Mayo Clinic research suggests it may not be as simple as pulling teeth: The study found that roughly 1 in 10 heart surgery patients who had troublesome teeth extracted before surgery died or had adverse outcomes such as a stroke or kidney failure. The findings are published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Mayo Clinic News Network: Pulling Problem Teeth Before Heart Surgery to Prevent Infection May Be Catch-22

Public Affairs Contact: Sharon Theimer

 

FOX9
INVESTIGATORS: Radiation and records

…Former Airman Nathan Edward Morris must run a medical drill once every four months. Blood is drawn, an MRI is taken and the oncologist My Fox KMSP TCwill read the results Morris believes can be linked back to what might be called friendly fire from 11 years ago…Morris's tumor is so invasive that only a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic was willing to operate on it last July…Doctors believe they were able to cut most of the cancer out…Morris finds himself back at Mayo Clinic so often. The system of sashaying patients from appointment to appointment is incredibly slick and is specifically designed so the sick don't have to wait for days to get results -- but every minute spent waiting is one that makes Morris "nervous."

Reach: Minneapolis-St.Paul is the 16th largest television market in the United States with 1.7 million TV homes. FOX 9 News (WFTC) typically has good viewership for its 9 p.m., newscast, but lags behind its competitors at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

Follow-up story: FOX9, Airman gets brain tumor resolution

Context: Nathan Morris is a patient of Mayo Clinic oncologist and neurologist Derek Johnson, M.D.  Dr. Johnson's research is part of Mayo's Neuro-Oncology Program. The goal of the Neuro-Oncology Program of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is to identify prevention and treatment strategies that improve the survival and quality of life for patients with primary brain tumors.

Public Affairs Contact: Nick Hanson

 

KTTC
Small business start-ups finding success in Rochester
by Devin Bartolotta

The Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI) held its annual meeting Thursday. It was all about the future of Rochester. "Growing the companies that are from here and want to stay here, you have the opportunity to create a new legacy," said Peter Barth, keynote speaker atKTTC today's meeting…"I think it's going to be a really positive change. Rochester, until now, has been dominated by a single industry or maybe two. And I think having these small satellite industries build up around Mayo Clinic will be really healthy," said Dr. Russell.

Reach: KTTC is an NBC affiliate that serves the Rochester, Minn. area including the towns of Austin, Mason City, Albert Lea and Winona. Its website receives more than 73,300 unique visitors each month.

Context: RAEDI's primary goal is to attract, retain and assist the growth/expansion of base business within the Rochester Area. Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator provides infrastructure that enables entrepreneurism for the Rochester community.   Founded by RAEDI, City of Rochester, Mayo Clinic Treasury Services and Mayo Clinic Ventures, the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator provides collaborative space for new companies, venture capital firms and entrepreneurs.

Public Affairs Contact: Brian Kilen

 

Wall Street Journal, Osteoperosis Gets Younger: Risk to Bones From Treating Other Diseases by Laura Landro, Image at the bottom of the article cites Mayo Clinic as the source.

CNN, Piers Morgan Tonight, Transcript - Piers Morgan: Where will America be in terms of health care in two decades? Ezekiel Emanuel: Well, two decades is a very long time to predict. So I'm going to be I understand. As Al hague would say, I'll caveat this. First, most of us will be getting our insurance through the exchange. We're going to be selecting our coverage through the exchange. Second, we're going to be selecting not just insurance companies but a lot of health systems. So I expect that the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, my own University Penn, will be offering their own insurance products on the exchange. Third, I think we're going to see an era of low growth in health care.

NY Times, A Risk for Patients, if Profit Is Paramount, To remedy our fragmented health system, reformers want to consolidate health care. President Obama, for instance, has praised integrated health systems like the Mayo Clinic as a model for national reform. To that end, the Affordable Care Act drives more hospitals to become more Mayo-like by buying physician practices. Today, about 39 percent of doctors practice independently, down from 57 percent in 2000. Reformers appear to have gotten their wish, but whether patients or doctors benefit is questionable.

USA Today, Obama budget boosts funds to fight 'nightmare bacteria', President Obama is proposing to double spending to combat the threat of "nightmare bacteria" spreading in hospitals … The antibiotics that most often lead to C. diff infections include fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, clindamycin and penicillins, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Florida-Times Union1940-2014: Undaunted by illness, philanthropist Dianne Davis McCalla lived to help others by Sandy Strickland, Dianne Davis McCalla didn’t let five transplants, two knee replacements, a mechanical wrist, a metal thumb and cancer define her life…When Mayo built a new hospital in 2008, Mrs. McCalla and her husband gave $10 million to the transplant center, which was named in their honor. “She was a wonderful person who fought hard each day to overcome serious illnesses,” said Thomas Gonwa, a physician who is chair of Mayo’s Department of Transplantation. “We are forever grateful for the gifts that she and her family gave to Mayo Clinic — gifts that will help us continue to search for answers, provide the highest quality of care and find new ways to fight deadly diseases.

Star Tribune, Treadmill desks, wireless headsets make workers better, U study finds by James Walsh, It may be just the kind of place anyone would want to work. In one area sits a foosball table, pingpong table and video golf game to help employees break through creative blocks. In another area, slices of birthday cake adorn plates on the kitchen’s island counter… But Salo’s participation in a similar study several years ago by the Mayo Clinic helped create a culture of movement and fitness at the company, said founders Amy Langer and John Folkestad. They had seen an article by Dr. James Levine at Mayo and, as Langer said, “stalked him” in an effort to get treadmill desks like the ones he used.

Star TribuneMinnesota's regional airports are seeing signs of a resurgence by Curt Brown…Rochester owns its airport, but the Mayo Clinic has operated the facility for 80 years. A recent study revealed that only 12 percent of the 2,400 southern Minnesotans who fly daily use Rochester’s airport instead of driving up to the Twin Cities. But Rochester’s new airport manager, Marty Lenss, insists those numbers “show tremendous potential” for increasing what now stands at nine flights a day. Even the state’s fourth and smallest international airport, up on the Canadian border in International Falls, landed $2 million in the governor’s bonding bill for a new terminal and customs clearing area.

Star TribuneSmall Business: Rani Engineering on track to grow by Todd Nelson…As a woman and minority in a traditionally male-dominated industry, the South Korea-born Rani has seen her profile rise along with her firm’s. In July, Gov. Mark Dayton appointed her to the eight-member board overseeing the Mayo Clinic’s $5.6 billion Destination Medical Center expansion in Rochester, the largest economic development project in state history. Rani will be the keynote speaker on March 11 at a Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce event focusing on the Mayo project.

Post-BulletinA legacy of Franciscan values for Mayo Clinic and Rochester by Jeff Hansel… His example has inspired the Franciscan sisters of Rochester to reaffirm their own efforts to live Franciscan values, from tending to bees to helping the poor in various missions. The sisters have helped build Rochester from the time Mother Alfred Moes convinced Dr. W.W. Mayo that a hospital should be built in Rochester after the devastating 1883 tornado… Franciscan values have become so much a part of Mayo Clinic and Rochester, the sisters say, that their own physical presence isn't necessary to maintain them. The sisters no longer directly govern the Saint Marys campus. "We have to rely on the staff to carry them out now, because we're thinning out," said Saint Marys archivist Sister Lauren Weinandt.

WNYC (Leonard Lopate Show), Please Explain: Why Sitting Is Bad for Your Health, Get up, stand up! Evidence is mounting that sitting for long stretches of time—in a car, at a desk, or on the couch—is bad for our health. A sedentary way of life and spending hours sitting down seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Dr. James Levine, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, professor at Arizona State University, and a national leader in obesity research, and Dr. Wayne Stokes, director of Sports Medicine Rehab at NYU Langone Medical Center, explain how sitting causes health problems and what we can do to counteract them.

WEAU, Need for family doctors grow in Wisconsin, With a shortage in physicians plus more patients with health care under the Affordable Care Act, one residency program says there is a greater need for family physicians. Mayo Clinic Health System said it's also recruiting primary care physicians because more medical students decide to pursue sub-specialized fields.

Digital Journal, Women are the Weaker Sex When it Comes to Heart Disease; polyDNA Highlights the Link between Heart Disease and Viruses, Most people do not realize that more women than men die of heart disease each year … As the Mayo Clinic notes, heart infections, such as pericarditis, endocarditis and myocarditis, are caused when a virus reaches the heart muscle. (See the Mayo Clinic from January 16, 2013)

KWWL, Epileptic brain surgery could help 5-year-old's seizures, Five-year-old Gracie Stamatiades started having seizures before her third birthday. After years of trying different medications, late last year her family decided the medications wouldn't help her anymore. So Monday, Stamatiades will head to Mayo Clinic and undergo epileptic brain surgery.

Sun Sentinal, Treatment for Tourette syndrome dependent on severity of symptoms, DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Last month, our 8-year-old son was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. What could have caused this? Is it hereditary?

MSN (Men’s Health), The 6 smartest ways to beat pain, "Usually the smartest plan is to start with the least invasive treatments and work up to more invasive treatments if the pain isn't going away," says Peter Dorsher, M.D., a pain-management specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Citizen Times (Gannett) Still more reasons to be a vegetarian, The Mayo Clinic notes that vegetarians are at lower risk for developing diabetes, another factor in heart disease. Indeed, an Oxford University study of 45,000 adults in last year’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that vegetarians were 32 percent less likely to suffer from heart disease.

Korea Herald, 6 ways to get a better night’s rest, Between the hustle and bustle of busy days, many people experience shallow sleep and fatigue. To help those people who want to get a good night’s sleep, Popular Science reported a set of tips from sleep experts Bernie Miller, supervisor at the Sleep Disorders Center at Mayo Clinic, Arizona, and Tessa Miller at the how-to site Lifehacker.

KSTP, INTERVIEW: Heads Up, Don't Duck Hockey, The Boys' State Hockey Tournament is underway at Xcel Energy Center. You can watch the games over on 45 TV. It's also streaming at Prep45.com. The tournament runs for days and it attracts a lot of fans and parents … 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked Doctor Anne Moore from the TRIA Orthopedics Center in Minneapolis more about the video campaign launched last fall with Mayo Clinic called Heads Up, Don't Duck Hockey and if it's making a difference.

Huffington Post (AP), Nebraska indoor taining bill advances, Teenagers younger than 16 may soon be restricted from using indoor tanning beds in Nebraska under legislation making its way through the state Legislature. Lawmakers on Tuesday gave first-round approval to a bill that advocates say is designed to reduce skin cancer risks and that they liken to youth restrictions on alcohol and tobacco …  Nordquist cited a study by the Mayo Clinic that found an eightfold increase in melanoma incidences in young women from 1970 to 2009.

Omaha World-Herald, Heated debate over bill to ban tanning for kids under 16 by Paul Hammel,…The senator cited a study by the Mayo Clinic that found that cases of skin cancer have increased eight-fold among women younger than 35. “I'm here to tell you that this is an issue that is truly a matter of life and death and warrants action,” the senator said. Nordquist compared it to banning minors from buying cigarettes, alcohol or handguns.

Good Morning America (Yahoo News), Reparenting' Used to Treat Woman with Munchausen's Syndrome, Patients with Munchausen's syndrome have a subconscious need for attention and pretend to be sick or injure themselves on purpose. They invent symptoms, beg for risky operations and even rig lab tests to win sympathy and concern, according to the Mayo Clinic.

LA Times, A gut-level treatment, Clostridium Difficile is a dangerous infection that, as its name implies, is not always easy to treat successfully with antibiotics…Now, some doctors are treating the infection with a procedure called fecal transplant…Studies have placed the cure rate at about 90%; a doctor from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona describes a patient who had been bedridden for weeks with C. difficile being discharged within 24 hours of a fecal transplant.

Yahoo! Finance, Can You Caffeinate Yourself to Death? by Debra Cole, Many of us rely on caffeine to get us through the day. Whether it is a cup of coffee, an energy shot or a soda, it raises the question: is caffeine really all that bad?... Yet last June, the Mayo Clinic published a study that found “a positive association between coffee consumption and all-cause mortality…in men and women younger than 55 years.” The findings were not without detractors. USA Today interviewed Gregg Fonarow, co-chief of clinical cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who said, “Differences in other dietary factors, marital status and other socioeconomic factors that were not adjusted for in this study may account for some or all of these observations.”

Huffington Post Canada, Three Guilt-Free Ways to Say "No" (Slideshow), Honesty is The Best Policy: Don't fabricate reasons to get out of an obligation, says the Mayo Clinic. "The truth is always the best way to turn down a friend, family member or co-worker." Making up an excuse is always more stressful in the long-run. It's best to face the music straight away...Take Guilt Out of the Equation: "Don't agree to a request you would rather decline because of feelings of guilt or obligation," advises the Mayo Clinic. "Doing so will likely lead to additional stress and resentment."

Milwaukee Magazine The Personification of Hope, It was 2007. One minute, Jim was a healthy hockey-playing husband and dad of four wonderful children. The next, he felt a cramp in his hand at the gym. Which never went away. Which got worse. Which when first evaluated had no diagnosis, no answers. Until that fateful day at the Mayo Clinic when Jim Eutizzi was told he had ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease… In December, Jim received the Lawrence A Rand Prize, awarded by the National ALS Association’s National Office recognizing the courage, passion, integrity and commitment of those serving the ALS community.

iHealth Beat, Study: Electronic Messaging Has Little Effect on In-Person Visits, Adult patients' use of electronic messaging via patient portals has little effect on their use of health care services, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic, FierceHealthIT reports… The researchers compared the number of in-person doctor appointments that patients scheduled before and after their first electronic message. Among patients who sent at least one electronic message, there was no significant difference in the number of in-person visits before and after use of the patient portal, according to the study.

MobiHealthNews, Study: Use of patient portal secure messaging does not impact office visit frequency, There was no significant change in the frequency of office visits for patients who used an electronic messaging system through a patient portal, according to a retroactive study of 2,357 adult primary care patients at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester, Minnesota location…The study found there was a slightly decreasing trend in annual visits per patient, from 1.97 visits per year in 2009 to 1.87 visits per year in 2011. But overall, patients who used secure messages frequently did not change the frequency of their office visits and those who sent at least one e-visit message did not change their visit frequency.

KMSP, Centenarian sisters share secrets to longevity, For centuries, humans have searched for the secret to living a long and happy life -- and Fox 9 News got some clues atop a hill in Rochester where some very wise, and very old, people live. When Odelia Klinkhammer arrived on the Earth, a ship named "the Titanic" was getting ready for a fateful maiden voyage. Since then, she's seen 37,341 sunrises… For 72 years -- nearly three quarters of her life -- she has worked as a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital, and it was common for her to walk 12 miles a day. Nowadays, she easily logs a 5K cruising the halls of Assisi Heights, a home for the Sisters of St. Francis -- a religious order that could easily lay claim to the name "Sisterhood of Centenarians."

Altoona Herald, Altoona mother receives new heart, In the early hours Monday morning Terri Friday got the call she had been waiting a year and a half to receive. Doctors had found the heart she needed… She had recently returned from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and was expecting to have a left ventricular assist device — an LVAD — installed to assist her heart muscle as she waited for a transplant match.

European Hospital, Stop that talk about price, This trend produces significant challenges; the current reform aims at cutting expenses by 20 percent over the next 5-7 years – a fifth of the overall revenue of hospitals… With a staff of around 60,000, the Mayo Clinic is active in three regions – Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. ‘The supply chain function is part of the entire value chain in our organisation, which particularly includes the physicians,’ explained Joseph Dudas, who heads a staff of around 500 people in Mayo’s supply chain unit, which structures activities from sourcing of contracts, and buying to delivering a product for use in a care setting.

Optometry Times, Probability of blindness from glaucoma nearly halved since 1980, The researchers speculate that advances in diagnosis and therapy are likely causes for the decrease but caution that a significant proportion of patients still progress to blindness… "Despite this good news, the rate at which people continue to go blind due to OAG is still unacceptably high. This is likely due to late diagnosis and our incomplete understanding of glaucoma, so it is critical that research into this devastating disease continues, and all eye care providers be vigilant in looking for early signs of glaucoma during routine exams,” says Arthur J. Sit, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and lead researcher for the study.

Duluth News Tribune, Reader's view: Urge lawmakers to ban e-cigs in public places by Jennifer Julsrud, I urge Duluthians and all Minnesotans to support an electronic cigarette ban in public places until our trusted medical communities can complete conclusive clinical studies… Are we really going to let nicotine addicts and the big tobacco companies that own e-cigs define the safety of electronic cigarettes for us? Mayo Clinic nicotine expert, Dr. Richard Hurt, defined e-cigs as “drug-delivery devices,” saying we don’t know yet the effects on our health.

HealthDay, Rising E-Cigarette Use Tied to More Smoking in Teens by Mary Brophy Marcus,…Michael Burke, the treatment program coordinator at the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, said the study shows that e-cigarettes seem to be making inroads with young people…"Ninety percent of people who catch this addictive disease, it happens before they're 18," Burke said. "Some e-cigarettes are being marketed without nicotine, so the immediate concern is with the ones with nicotine. They can start someone on a path of nicotine addiction and they'll eventually move to a better nicotine-delivery device and none is better or more damaging than cigarettes."

Ragan’s Health Care Communication News, Mayo Clinic video shows employees how they help company succeed by Russell Working, When Mayo Clinic launched its "Mayo Effect" internal campaign to promote its new strategic plan in 2010, an accompanying video noted the recent recession had threatened the hospital's future…Despite the gloomy opening, the video was part of a campaign that drove home the chief executive's main message, inspired employee videos, and doubled awareness of Mayo's "refreshed strategic plan," Mayo communicators say…The campaign started with a two-day brainstorming session of communicators and creative people. When the CEO, Dr. John H. Noseworthy, spoke to the group, he was asked what one message employees should take away from the strategic plan, says Annie Burt, institutional communications manager.

Louisville Courier-Journal, Coping with anxiety: Holistic treatment approach winning favor over medications by Liz Osby, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the use of antidepressants grew nearly 400 percent between 1988 and 2008…But some practitioners are looking to more natural and holistic ways to cope with anxiety…Anxiety, according to NIMH, is a normal reaction to stress — the “fight or flight” response that helps us survive life-threatening situations and cope with uncontrollable challenges. But for some people, it can be excessive, leading to increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, trembling and weakness as well as feelings of apprehension, powerlessness, panic or impending doom, according to the Mayo Clinic. And because it can be hard to control, it can interfere in people’s lives.

Leader-Telegram, Making the Rounds, PRACTICE EXPANSION: Dr. Christina Stanga, a psychiatrist for Mayo Clinic Health System, has expanded her practice in Eau Claire to include Menomonie, where she is providing psychiatric services for adults on Wednesdays.

MPR, Minn. physicians ponder medical marijuana by Lorna Benson, Is marijuana an effective treatment for pain, illness and disease? It's a question many Minnesota physicians are pondering as the Legislature prepares to debate a measure that would allow doctors to prescribe some form of the drug. Mayo psychiatrist Michael Bostwick reviewed more than 100 medical studies and reports on the possible benefits and risks of marijuana. He published his findings in February 2012 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Additional coverage: West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn., Star Tribune

Minnesota Medical AssociationForum Physicians Say More Studies Needed on Medical Marijuana, …Policy forum attendees heard a presentation by J. Michael Bostwick, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, who recently published an in-depth article on medical marijuana in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. After sharing his synthesis of the history of and research on medical marijuana, Bostwick said there’s a dearth of scientific research in this country because the U.S. government, “upholding historical biases, has imposed draconian restrictions.” But he also said states are now “caving to political expediency.”

KTTCMinnesota House committee, physicians weigh in on medical marijuana by Nicole Goodrich, The debate over medical marijuana has been in the spotlight across the country for years now… According to Mayo Clinic Dr. J. Michael Bostwick, it's a complicated issue for those in the medical profession. They say there's not enough science. "The challenge here I think is to figure out how to be reasonable scientifically while we try to figure out whether we can make something useful of this substance which is used recreationally," said Bostwick… "Mayo has had no position on medical marijuana either in Arizona or in Rochester, and I don't expect them at the moment to take a position," said Bostwick.

News4Jax, Overcoming common fitness challenges by Mayo Clinic News Network, Sticking to a regular exercise schedule isn't easy. After all, there are plenty of potential hindrances -- time, boredom, injuries, self-confidence. But these issues don't need to stand in your way. Consider practical strategies for overcoming common barriers to fitness.

Pain Medicine News,After Outbreaks, Experts Await Block Safety Advisory, In 2012, a rash of deadly fungal infections linked to pain interventions highlighted the devastating outcomes that can occur from improper aseptic techniques in regional anesthesia and analgesia. The outbreak makes timely the upcoming updated practice advisory from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA): "Infectious Complications Associated With Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine."… "Although infectious complications are exceedingly rare after regional anesthesia and pain management techniques, they remain relevant to the practice of every clinician because of the potentially devastating consequences they may have on our patients" said James R. Hebl, MD, professor of anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn., who was involved in the update.

Desert News, Demolition begins to pave the way for sterile Hope Lodge healing resort by Wendy Leonard… The American Cancer Society this week is beginning demolition to prepare for its local Hope Lodge site, hoping to help up to 800 patients each year with a sterile healing environment that intends to be their home away from home… The Hope Lodge will join 31 American Cancer Society-operated live-in facilities in the country, but it will be the only one of its size and kind in the Intermountain West. The nearest available housing for patients is a six-room facility attached to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

Huffington Post, How Contaminated Is Your Doctor's Stethoscope, Really? Sure, your doctor makes a point to wash hands before and after examining you. But have you ever wondered how often his or her stethoscope gets cleaned? A new study in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings shows that the stethoscope can also be a source of bacterial contamination -- and some parts of the stethoscope can be even more contaminated than the back of a doctor's hand. Additional Coverage: Doctors Lounge, HealthLine

Smithsonian, Doctors' Stethoscopes Can Transmit Bacteria As Easily As Unwashed Hands by Joseph Stromberg,…Nowadays, every hospital and clinic posts signs that remind doctors and other health professionals to clean or sterilize their hands in between seeing every patient…As they report today in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the stethoscopes' diaphragms (the circular part that comes into contact with the patient's skin) were, on average, much more contaminated than most parts of the gloves on doctors' hands, second only to their fingertips, which are known to carry the highest concentrations of bacteria. Additional coverage: KING 5 Wash., Stuff.com New Zealand, Advisory Board, MinnPost

All Access, Minnesota Public Radio Adds Two To Board Of Trustees, Minnesota Public Radio has elected Mayo Clinic pediatrician Dr. Patricia Simmons and Clockwork Active Media Co-Founder, President and CEO Nancy Lyons to its Board of Trustees.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic to expand support center by Jeff Kiger, Mayo Clinic is planning to expand its Superior Drive Support Center, which houses Mayo Medical Laboratories. The clinic submitted plans on Feb. 14 to build a proposed 66,000-square-foot, two-story addition on the south side of the complex at 3050 Superior Drive N.W.

Alice Echo News Journal Texas., Words are powerful by Tim Walshe, The scripture tells us in Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver." …Dr. William Mayo of the Mayo Clinic was known for his habitual use of praise and encouragement. Whenever a younger doctor read a paper at a staff meeting, Dr. Mayo would inevitably approach him afterward, put his hand on his shoulder, and offer a quiet word of encouragement, like "Good work!"…It's also said that Mayo's smile and greetings to his patients as he made his daily rounds had almost as much to do with their recovery as his medicine.

WBAL TV, Study: Osteoporosis is complication of Type 2 diabetes, A new Mayo Clinic study confirms that osteoporosis is also a complication for those suffering from Type 2 diabetes. The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, added osteoporosis to a long list of complications that come with the disease, including heart disease, eye problems and kidney damage.

Jax Daily Record, Florida 9B project is another milestone for Davis family by Kathy Mathis, The Davis family — which brought the community the Nocatee development, land for Mayo Clinic Florida, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. and the allure of its private Dee Dot Ranch — is creating another signature project.

allParenting, Are Parents Off The Hook After Drop In Young Childhood Obesity? By Maureen Wallace, Tuesday night, The New York Times trumpeted, "Obesity Rate for Young Children Plummets 43 Percent in a Decade." Wow! I thought. Wahoo! Go, us! I have to admit, part of me thought, OK, we're doing something right. Maybe I can ease up a bit on my own two toddlers…Mayo Clinic responds Dr. Siobhan Pittock is a pediatric endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic Children's Center, and she's concerned that media are paying too much attention to "one small finding" of the study, she told allParenting.

MPR – The Daily Circuit, What can American adults learn from dropping childhood obesity rate? Guest: Dr. Seema Kumar: Pediatric endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic Children's Center…When the latest study of American obesity hit the news this week, reports concluded America might be on the right path when it comes to raising healthy children. Preschool-age childhood obesity rates dropped about 40 percent in the last decade, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association survey released Tuesday.

Star Tribune, Letters: Restore long-term storage of newborn screening data, As leaders of five major pediatric hospitals in Minnesota, we are committed to doing everything in our power to protect the health of infants and children. Through legislation being proposed this year, our lawmakers have an opportunity to join us in this commitment. We are deeply concerned about the future of newborn screening in Minnesota — an issue that impacts nearly every baby born in the state. The Minnesota Department of Health, which oversees the program, is currently mandated to destroy the data from these screenings soon after birth. (Ann Reed, Mayo Clinic Children’s Center contributed to this)

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Know what you eat: Food label change would better reflect what Americans consume today by Emily Miels, Katie Fichter, a registered dietitian with Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, said she worries about the shift from what is recommended to what is actually consumed. “The unfortunate part is that we’re conforming to how much we eat instead of how much we need,” Fichter said.

The Star, A more fit workplace, Nearly all of us need to make more time for fitness. Finding that time, though, can seem impossible. But what if you could wedge that workout in at work? If it sounds far-fetched (or a great way to get yourself fired), listen up. Dr James Levine, an obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic, United States, says we don’t need to log more time at a gym.

ABC News, Jet Lag: 15 Prevention and Recovery Tips by Rick Seany, The Mayo Clinic defines jet lag as a "temporary sleep disorder that can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones." In other words, you don't have to go to Europe to get it!

San Mateo Daily Journal, OP-ED: No level of Obamacare can cure sedentary U.S., More than one in three people in the United States is obese, the category beyond overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. In New Mexico, at least one person in 10 — about 11 percent of the state’s population — has diabetes, strongly linked to being sedentary and overweight. A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests an answer as to why, and it has little to do with Washington, D.C., policy or medical insurance coverage. Additional coverage: Online Athens

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The difference between exercise-induced asthma and chronic asthma is subtle by Mark Wylam, M.D., Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've had asthma all my life but it's always been very mild. I recently started exercising again and am out of breath soon after I begin my workout until about an hour after I'm done. Is there a chance that it is exercise-induced asthma? Is it safe for me to exercise?

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Surgery can usually treat urinary incontinence, but less invasive options are available by Anita Chen, M.D., Gynecologic Surgery, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm 43 and have had trouble with urinary incontinence since having my fourth child at 41. It seemed manageable until about 6 months ago, when I started to notice it happening more frequently. At what point should I consider surgery?

Chicago TribuneThe risk of sustaining a concussion is higher after already having one, DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My daughter, 17, was hit while playing soccer last fall and suffered a mild concussion. Her doctor says it's OK for her to play again in the spring, but I'm worried. Isn't she more likely to get another concussion if she's had one already? Does having had one concussion affect her long-term? ANSWER: You are wise to be concerned. Every injury to the brain, including a mild concussion, needs to be taken very seriously. That said, as long as all of her concussion symptoms go away, it's likely your daughter can safely return to playing soccer.

WSBT Ind., Beating the winter blues by Rachel Lake, The wicked weather and surplus of snow may have you feeling the winter blues. It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. According to the Mayo Clinic, some people start feeling symptoms in the fall. As the weather gets colder, you tend to lose energy and feel moody. But there are some ways you can turn your frown upside down.

Washington Post, Spring hopes by Vicky Hallett, Here’s a list of symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic: hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, a heavy feeling in the limbs, difficulty concentrating. Basically, it’s a description of what I’ve been seeing on the Metro every morning — even in my reflection on the windows. Day after day of putting on your heaviest coat (and gloves and scarf and hat), trudging along frozen sidewalks hoping you won’t slip and knowing you won’t get home until after dark will do that to a person.

Yahoo! Voices, What Are Those Little Red Bumps on My Arm? By Lacy Shea, I've had Keratosis Pilaris (or ''KP'' for short) for as long as I can remember. But I haven't always known what to call it or exactly what it was…According to the Mayo Clinic, "Keratosis Pilaris (ker-uh-TOE-sis pih-LAIR-is) is a common skin condition that causes rough patches and small, acne-like bumps, usually on the arms, thighs, cheeks and buttocks. Keratosis Pilaris bumps are usually white, sometimes red, and generally don't hurt or itch."

Digital Journal, Fibromyalgia Patients May Be Grouped by Symptom and Severity Level, Informing Therapeutic Decisions, Study Finds, Examining outcome data on fibromyalgia, researchers were able to fit fibromyalgia patients into 1 of 4 symptom domains, each distinguished by greater presence or severity of specific symptoms. The study results, which suggest a step forward for individualized patient therapy, were presented in a scientific poster today at the 30th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine…"Currently, fibromyalgia is ineffectively treated and heterogeneity is part of the problem," said lead study author, Ann Vincent, MBBS, MD, former medical director and now a fulltime researcher with the Mayo Fibromyalgia Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Additional Coverage: Fox 25 48 La Crosse Eau Claire, MedIndia, ABC 5 Des Moines, WDRB Louisville, KEYC, WMBF Myrtle Beach, Action News 19 Cleveland

Becker’s Hospital Review, The Impact of Disruptive Technology and the Extinction of Hospital Care by James Hamilton, To showcase some of this work, Mayo Clinic held a conference last fall on the concepts of individualized medicine. Those attending realized the scientific advances in the genomic understanding of pathology are breathtaking.  However, the information flows much like the parts of the Loch Ness Monster. You get glimpses of the monster, but it is segmented with the technology and not easily understood for those of us that work in administrative healthcare. Nonetheless, when observed, it's clear that what is occurring is of great substance. Mayo would not be making such an investment in individualized medicine if this was just pop technology.

Sun Herald, Cat bites can be problematic, When we first hear of people receiving cat bites, we may not feel that these types of wounds are a high priority for medical treatment. However, a recent report from the Mayo Clinic suggests that we would be wise to show more concern when they occur. In a recent news release by the Mayo Clinic, they treated 193 cat bites between 2009 and 2011, and some of their findings may astound you.

Aftonbladet, Stetoskop kan vara bakteriebov, Förmodligen har du flera gånger sett läkaren tvätta och sprita händerna innan du har blivit undersökt. Har du också sett läkaren tvätta av sitt stetoskop vid en undersökning?... Det enda på handen som hyste fler bakterier var läkarnas fingertoppar, enligt studien som presenteras i tidskriften Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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