January 15, 2015

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

By Karl Oestreich

Mayo Clinic in the News LogoMayo 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.

Karl Oestreich, manager enterprise media relations

 

TODAY
A walk a day may keep early death away
by Bill Briggs

…An adult with a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An adult Today Show Healthwith a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. "This study adds to the mounting evidence that movement and activity makes a difference in your health, even if you are not at your ideal weight," said Dr. Edward Laskowski, a professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic, and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center.

Reach: The TODAY Show reaches an average daily audience of 4.25 million viewers each week. Today Health is the online portal of the Today Show.

Context: Edward Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center.

Public Affairs Contact: Bryan Anderson

 

HealthDay
Study Says Biopsies Are Safe
by Robert Preidt

Cancer biopsies do not cause the disease to spread, says a new study that dispels a common myth. "This study shows that physicians and patients should feel reassured that a biopsy is very safe," said study senior investigator Dr. Michael Wallace, aHealth Day Logo gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

Reach: HealthDay distributes its health news to media outlets several times each day and also posts its news on its website, which receives more than 39,000 unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage: Vancouver Desi, Science Daily, Science Codex, Medical Xpress, HON.ch, Houston Northwest Medical Center, Noticia al Dia, Oncology Nurse Advisor, Stone Hearth News, Science Newsline, HealthCanal, Transplant Views, Dallas Sun, Winnipeg Free Press, Science Blog, Examiner Toronto

Context:  A study of more than 2,000 patients by researchers at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville, Florida, has dispelled the myth that cancer biopsies cause cancer to spread. In the Jan. 9 online issue of Gut, they show that patients who received a biopsy had a better outcome and longer survival than patients who did not have a biopsy. The researchers studied pancreatic cancer, but the findings likely apply to other cancers because diagnostic technique used in this study — fine needle aspiration — is commonly used across tumor types, says the study’s senior investigator and gastroenterologist Michael Wallace, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Public Affairs Contact: Kevin Punsky

 

WEAU Eau Claire
Half Moon Dragon Boat Festival in Eau Claire to benefit hospice
How do you tame a dragon? You can't do it without a paddle. At least, that's according to Mayo Clinic Health System. The Half WEAU Eau Claire LogoMoon Dragon Boat Festival is coming to Eau Claire on Saturday, August 8th, 2015 at Half Moon Beach. Proceeds will help families dealing with the loss of loved ones through hospice care.… John Dickey is the Chief Administrative Officer of Mayo Clinic Health System's northwest region. He said the event will raise awareness of hospice care for people in the final stages of life.

Reach: WEAU-TV is the NBC affiliate for much of western Wisconsin, including Eau Claire and La Crosse.

Additional coverage:WQOW Eau ClaireHospice care to benefit from dragon boat races
held in Eau Claire

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Health system plans boat festival to raise funds for bereavement services

Context: Mayo Clinic Health System is sponsoring its inaugural Half Moon Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, Aug. 8, to raise awareness for hospice care for people at the end of their life. Funds raised will support a bereavement program for families and all community members following the loss of a loved one. For more information, visit mayoclinichealthsystem.org/halfmoondragon.

Public Affairs Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist

 

KPHO Phoenix
Free help offered to free yourself from cancer by Juan Magana. The Mayo Clinic wrapped up a weekend-long event in north Phoenix to help patients and family members, who are currently fighting cancer or have been cured, deal with the emotional rollercoaster. The Living With and Overcoming My Cancer CBS5AZ-KPHOSymposium brought out cancer experts to answer questions people had. "We're thrilled to put this on and to give them a sense of community," said Dr. Ruben Mesa, the director of the Mayo Cancer Clinic. "

Reach: KPHO-5 is the CBS affiliate in Phoenix and is owned by Meredith Corporation.

Additional coverage: WBRC Alabama

Context: Ruben Mesa, M.D., is a chair of Hematology/Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center with a multisite presence. Its three campuses — in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jacksonville, Fla., and Rochester, Minn. — give the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center a broad geographic reach, enabling it to serve diverse patient populations around the world.  Eunice Nishimura is a Mayo Clinic patient and is a a stage 4 lung cancer survivor. You can read more about her cancer journey on Sharing Mayo Clinic.

Public Affairs Contact: Julie Janovsky-Mason

 

Jacksonville Business Journal
New CEO for Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross by Colleen Michele Jones

Mayo Clinic has named Dr. John Presutti as chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic Jacksonville Business Journal newspaper logoHealth System in Waycross, effective March 2, 2015. Presutti succeeds Kenneth Calamia, who will retire from Mayo Clinic at the end of 2015.

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

Context: Mayo Clinic has named John Presutti, D.O., as chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross (Georgia), effective March 2, 2015. Dr. Presutti succeeds Kenneth Calamia, M.D., who will retire from Mayo Clinic at the end of 2015. “Dr. Presutti is a wonderfully gifted and proven physician leader,” says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville, Florida. “He brings energy and passion to his work and is committed to building upon Dr. Calamia’s successful leadership and involvement in the Waycross community.” More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Public Affairs Contact: Kevin Punsky

 

Yahoo! Health
Got The Flu? Here's When To Head To The ER… It’s important to be aware of what can happen if an illness progresses, according to a new overview in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In the piece, senior author Steve Peters, M.D., a pulmonary and critical care doctor at the Mayo Clinic, says that deadlyYahoo Health Logo sepsis is a very real risk in infections such as the flu. We caught up with him for a download on sepsis and other common flu complications — and when to get yourself or a loved one to the ER, stat.

Reach: Yahoo! reaches more than a half a billion across devices and around the globe. According to news sources roughly 700 million people visit Yahoo websites every month.

Context: Sepsis can be a dangerous complication of almost any type of infection, including influenza, pneumonia and food poisoningurinary tract infections; bloodstream infections from wounds; and abdominal infections. Steve Peters, M.D., a pulmonary and critical care physician at Mayo Clinic and senior author of a recent sepsis overview in the medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, explains sepsis symptoms and risk factors, the difference between severe sepsis and septic shock, and how sepsis is typically treated. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Public Affairs Contact: Sharon Theimer

AP, Nationals' Werth Has Arthroscopic Surgery On Right Shoulder. Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, and the team says no structural abnormalities were found. The operation was Friday at the Mayo Clinic. Washington says Werth's rehabilitation is expected to take two-to-three months. Additional coverage: NY Times, ABC News, KTTC, FOX10 Phoenix, USA Today, Federal Baseball

Washington Post, Jayson Werth to undergo shoulder surgery Friday (updated). Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth will undergo surgery on the acromioclavicular joint in his right shoulder on Friday and will require two to three months of rehabilitation, which could put the veteran’s availability for opening day in jeopardy…Werth said the “major shoulder tissue” has not been harmed, nor the rotator cuff or labrum, which is a good sign. The AC joint procedure will be done with a scope, which is minimally invasive, and performed by Diane Dahm of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Additional coverage: FOX Sports, CBS News

TIME, A Guide to What Kind of Eggs You Should Buy by Anita Hamilton… Free-Range: “These chickens have a shelter but can go outside,” explains Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky. There are no regulations on how long the birds stay outside—just that they can if they want to.

Bloomberg, Natural Ways to Treat Your SADVitamin D Pills. Several studies point to D deficiency as a mood ruiner. Dr. Mark Frye, head of the department of psychiatry and psychology at the Mayo Clinic, routinely treats patients with oral supplements. You can get them over the counter, but it’s best to have blood levels checked by a doctor, who can advise you on side effects and drug interactions.

Forbes, Why Telemedicine's Time Has Finally Come by Skip Fleshman…At first, it seems that this convenience would appeal mostly to younger patients, who expect to be able to access services on the Internet, and it does. But the area where it will have the most impact may well be with older populations. Dr. Steve Ommen Associate Dean at the Center for Connected Care at the Mayo Clinic expects older patients to be enthusiastic adopters. “The fastest-growing demographic for social media is the 60+ group. They are not technology-averse and they have the greatest mobility challenge in terms of getting to a doctor. A telemedicine solution may be exactly what they need.”

Washington Post, Eight ways to deal with chronic pain by Rachel Benner… Seek help. Whether you have lived with chronic pain for a few months or many years, the tasks detailed here may seem daunting. The Mayo Clinic encourages chronic pain sufferers to reach out for professional help, saying: “Your physical health can directly affect your mental health. Denial, anger and frustration are common with chronic illnesses. . . . A therapist, counselor or other professional may be able to help you put things in perspective. They also may be able to teach you coping skills, such as relaxation or meditation techniques.”

Red Wing Republican Eagle, A sweet pill to swallow by Michael Brun. As he reached the stairs leading down to Valley View Café inside Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls last week, Dr. Tom Witt knew something was awry. Witt thought he would be meeting with the press to discuss health care, but to his surprise found a small crowd of friends and colleagues smiling up at him. The family medicine physician and CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls, Lake City and Red Wing was presented the Goodhue County Editorial Association’s 2014 Citizen of the Year award, the third time a doctor has been honored with the title in 50 years. Additional coverage: Kenyon Leader, Red Wing Republican Eagle (Editorial), Zumbrota News Record

NPR, Gluten-Free Craze Is Boon And Bane For Those With Celiac Disease by James Fell…As gastroenterologist Joseph Murray, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic who studies celiac disease, told The New Yorker, "Everyone is trying to figure out what is going on, but nobody in medicine, at least not in my field, thinks this adds up to anything like the number of people who say they feel better when they take gluten out of their diet." Additional Coverage: WBUR Boston

Fortune, How to defeat groupthink: Five solutions by Cass Sustein…Medical decision-makers are especially likely to reach self-protective conclusions that are not in their patients’ best interests. This is because there can be a discrepancy between personal payoffs (over-testing and over-diagnosing to avoid malpractice litigation) and what benefits patients (avoiding unintended consequences of unnecessary tests and false-positive errors). Winning practices, such as those at the Mayo Clinic, structure rewards at the medical team level.

Insight News, Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, we've got the Mayo ... Clinic Sports Medicine Center by Carmen Robles. The Mayo Clinic, Rochester's world-renowned medical center has brought its "Mayo Model of Care" for patients in sports medicine to the Twin Cities. The state-of-the-art facility in the former Block E retail complex in the heart of downtown Minneapolis is now providing every aspect of quality care in sports medicine, except surgery. The new Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Facilities is a partnership with pro basketball's Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.

WXOW La Crosse, HPV testing can help detect Cervical cancer… Patricia Olijnyk, a Women's Health Physician at Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare said cervical cancer is fast-spreading and catching it early is crucial. She said just because you have HPV does not mean you will get cancer. "Most people will clear it. It's the people who don't clear it that can within 5 years turn into a really aggressive cancer that will kill you young," Olijnyk said.

Labroots, New Year Brings Overhaul of CPT Test Codes for HPV: Trio of new codes differentiate HPV genotypes by cancer risk… “The most recent national guidelines for cervical cancer screening and management recommend only testing for high-risk HPV genotypes,” says Michael R. Henry, MD, director, General Cytopathology Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, and medical director of the Cytotechnology Program within the Mayo School of Health-Related Sciences.

KAAL, Sled Hockey Comes to Rochester by Meghan Reistad. A new sport is in Rochester and organizers are hoping it takes off in Southeastern Minnesota. Sled Hockey, a sport bringing the Rochester Ice Hawks and the Minnesota Wild Sled Hockey Team together. “Tonight is the beginning and we're hoping to raise awareness and generate interest so we can have a Rochester sled hockey team," said Dr. Michael Stuart from Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine.

Mankato Free Press, Pianist uses music to heal after brain injury. Helen Baumgartner settled in to a cozy stuffed chair placed near sunny dining room windows and directly across from the Steinway and Baldwin she and her husband use to practice piano duets…Dr. Elizabeth Osborne, the Baumgartners' primary care giver, described the St. Peter musicians' move forward by performing Friday's concert as a message of hope for others. "Many times, when a person has gone through an illness or has suffered trauma, there is a period of feeling hopeless and helpless. They wonder, 'Can I still do what I used to do?'" said the St. Peter Mayo Clinic Health System doctor.

Cardiology Today, Portable ultrasound detected subclinical atherosclerosis, identified candidates for lipid-lowering therapy…In a related editorial, Tasneem Z. Naqvi, MD, wrote that the study “puts into perspective the weakness of a risk factor-based approach to identifying patients with subclinical atherosclerosis who are more likely to develop CV events. “We need to ponder whether treating nearly 50% of the adults on statins using a risk-scoring algorithm in the United States is more appropriate vs. treating only those who have subclinical atherosclerosis on the basis of a comprehensive, readily available, inexpensive and simple screening method,” Naqvi, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Scottsdale, Ariz., wrote.

MPR, Who will pay for planning ambitious Rochester makeover? By Liz Baier… But before planning can really get rolling, there's the matter of who's going to pay for the bureaucracy needed to make it work. In the first five years, it will take $21 million to pay the salaries and other operational expenses for the two governing boards created by the Legislature in 2013, the Mayo Clinic-led Economic Development Agency and the Destination Medical Center Corporation. Additional coverage: Finance & Commerce, MinnPost,

5 KJZZ, Dr. Joseph Sirven: Rinse, Wash, Regard. Dr. Sirven is a KJZZ commentator and the Chairman of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic. It’s a brand new year filled with promise, hope and that annual ritual of making a resolution. Many of us will make health related resolutions like losing weight or more exercising. How about making 2015 the year that you demand more time with your doctor, and let your doctor know when you’re happy about the services they deliver.

FOX News, Lillian Grace's story: The case for removing half of a baby's brain. When Sandra and Neal Salerno welcomed their second child, a girl named Lillian Grace in December of 2011 – the blue-eyed, blonde-haired little cherub seemed the picture of perfection. But less than two years later, the couple were faced with an impossible decision when doctors suggested removing half of their daughter’s brain to save her life….CMV refers to cytomegalovirus, which is a common viral infection that can affect almost anyone without symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can spread from person-to-person through contact with bodily fluids, and can be dangerous as an active infection in pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems.

ABC15 Phoenix, How to exercise safely with a chronic disease by Mayo Clinic News Network. If you have a chronic disease — such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or back or joint pain — exercise can have important health benefits. However, it's important to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine. He or she might have advice on what exercises are safe and any precautions you might need to take while exercising.

Huffington Post, Why Snoring Shouldn't Be Ignored by Amanda McMillan. "A lot of people think sleep apnea will cause them to suffocate, but it won't," says Grandner. "You're still getting enough air to breathe -- and if not, your brain will wake you up." (Note though that according to the Mayo Clinic, for those with underlying heart disease, sleep apnea can lead to sudden death due to cardiac arrest.) The bigger risk, he says, is the long-term damage it can do.

Mail & Guardian Africa, Surgical weight loss a disadvantage in the job market – study… There are five main types of weight-loss surgery – collectively termed “bariatric surgeries” – and only extremely obese people, who usually have another health problem such as diabetes, are considered as candidates for this kind of operation, according to the United States medical research organisation Mayo Clinic.

Real Simple magazine, 8 Science-Backed Reasons to Read a (Real) Book by Abigail Wise…Reading before bed can help you sleep. Creating a bedtime ritual, like reading before bed, signals to your body that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep, according to the Mayo Clinic. Reading a real book helps you relax more than zoning out in front of a screen before bed. Screens like e-readers and tablets can actually keep you awake longer and even hurt your sleep. Additional coverage: TIME

Prevention magazine, 18 Super-Simple Ways To Lose Weight For Life Look for ways to fidget. Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that people who tap their feet, fidget, and move around more burn 350 extra calories a day—that's enough to burn off a slice of pizza! If you're not a natural-born fidgeter, try a quickie workout—even 10 minutes dancing around your kitchen after dinner. "Get up once an hour for 5 minutes," suggests Nancy Snyderman, MD, chief medical editor for NBC News and author of Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat. Increase your calorie burn throughout the workday with these 7 tips.

FOX 10 Phoenix, Singing contest held for opera singers. A music contest underway in the valley caters to a classical crowd. It may be a classical crowd traditionally, but the singers are amazing and young also. It's Arizona's version of American Idol for Opera singers. … Rounds 1 and 2 of the competition happen this weekend at the Mayo Clinic on Shea. It's a free event and open to the public.

Healthcare Global, TOP 10: Best Hospitals for Diabetes Care in the United States… Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by a philosophy of “the needs of the patient come first.”

CNN Money, News Release: BioSig Appoints Samuel J. Asirvatham, M.D. to Scientific Advisory Board. BioSig Technologies (OTCQB: BSGM), a medical device company that is developing its proprietary PURE EP™ technology platform designed to improve the clinical outcomes of electrophysiology (EP) procedures, today announced it has appointed Samuel J. Asirvatham, M.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Asirvatham is a professor of medicine and vice chair of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medicine, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

FOX31 Denver, Food allergies and bullying by Lois Melkonian. “My son isn’t picky.  People who don’t know about food allergy don’t understand the severity.  This is life threatening.  If he eats a certain food, it could threaten his life,” explains Teresa Torres Garcia, mother of a son who’s dealt with food allergy since he was diagnosed at 16 months. I’ve watched my friends deal with food allergy with their children, and it’s a 24/7, lifelong ordeal.  That’s because, according the Mayo Clinic, food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food.

Austin Daily Herald, Mayo Health Clinic kiosks on the way to Austin schools by Jenae Hackensmith. Austin Public Schools is turning to technology to help keep staff healthy. At Monday’s school board meeting, Mayo Health System in Austin and Albert Lea representatives presented details on its partnership with the district that aims to make access to health care easier through Mayo Clinic Health Connection, a kiosk which allows patients to be treated for basic care via teleconference through the HealthSpot platform. “It’s a self-contained room, essentially, that you go in to get health care,” CEO Dr. Mark Ciota said. “And you’re linked via high definition video and audio to a Mayo health provider.” Additional coverage: Post-Bulletin

Aspen Times, For 46 years, conference has pulse on Snowmass tourism…“In the practice of cardiology there is such an overload of new information every week it is hard for cardiologists to keep pace with new science; this is an opportunity to have experts and the best teachers distill down that knowledge and educate using different and interactive approaches.” Dr. Carole Warnes, American College of Cardiology conference director…Warnes, who is a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Minnesota, has attended for 25 years and learned to ski on Snowmass.

Infection Control Today, Influenza and Sepsis: Mayo Expert Describes Warning Signs. Sepsis can be a dangerous complication of almost any type of infection, including influenza, pneumonia and food poisoning; urinary tract infections; bloodstream infections from wounds; and abdominal infections. Steve Peters, MD, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Mayo Clinic and senior author of a recent sepsis overview in the medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, explains sepsis symptoms and risk factors, the difference between severe sepsis and septic shock, and how sepsis is typically treated. Additional coverage: Medical Xpress

Florida Times-Union, Health Notes: Mayo Clinic study finds biopsies don't spread cancer by Charlie Patton. A study of more than 2,000 patients by researchers at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville has dispelled the myth that cancer biopsies cause cancer to spread…The researchers studied pancreatic cancer, but the findings likely apply to other cancers because diagnostic technique used in this study — fine needle aspiration — is commonly used across tumor types, says the study’s senior investigator, gastroenterologist Michael Wallace.

Advisory Board, How Mayo Clinic standardized care across 22 emergency departments by Elizabeth Trandel…Mayo raises the bar for quality and reduces costs through standardization, In 2012, Mayo Clinic Health System recognized the financial and quality opportunities of standardizing the clinical operations of their emergency departments. So, they tasked a physician-administrator dyad with an ambitious goal: harmonize the clinical operations of all 22 of Mayo's emergency departments in Minnesota. The facilities ranged from Mayo's flagship academic medical center ED to several small critical-access sites; in aggregate, the facilities saw over 350,000 patients annually.

Post-Bulletin, DMC funding fix clears first hurdle by Heather Carlson. A bill to fix the funding formula for Destination Medical Center cleared its first legislative hurdle on Monday.… In 2013, the Legislature approved spending up to $455 million on public infrastructure to support Mayo Clinic's planned $3.5 billion expansion over the next 20 years. The DMC effort hit a snag last fall when the Minnesota Attorney General's office issued an opinion that the funding formula language for the bill was vague.

Science World Report, 10 Percent of Heart Clinic Patients Misuse Aspirin by Kathleen Lee…"The most important message is to recognize that there are people [who take] aspirin believing that they are protecting themselves from having heart attacks when they are actually exposing themselves to the [bleeding] risks of taking aspirin and likely having no benefit at all," said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who was not involved with the study, via Medscape. Additional coverage: Diabetes Insider

LiveScience, Frostbite: Symptoms & Treatment by Alina Bradford… Common signs of frostbite, according to the Mayo Clinic, are cold skin and a prickling feeling in the affected area. As frostbite progresses, the area may become numb, and the person may become clumsy because of muscle and joint stiffness.

American Spectator, The Cdc’s Severe Case Of Mission Confusion by Betsy McCaughey. It's been falling on the job not just only on Ebola…Hospital Superbugs: C. diff, short for Clostridium Difficile, is raging through American hospitals. The CDC hopes to reduce it by 33 percent over five years — a pathetically timid goal. The Mayo Clinic reduced C. diff by 85 percent in a pilot project just by cleaning patients’ surroundings once a day with bleach wipes.

Herald Online, Optum Labs Research Collaborative Strengthens Collective Resource Base Through Addition of Five Leading Organizations. Optum Labs, the collaborative research and innovation center co-founded by Optum and Mayo Clinic, announced the addition of five new collaborators committed to improving the quality and value of patient care.

Star Tribune, Biotech company with Mayo Clinic roots signs licensing deal. A Minnesota biotech start-up with ties to the Mayo Clinic has signed a licensing deal with an international drugmaker to study how to improve genetically engineered viruses that kill cancer cells. Rochester-based Omnis Pharmaceuticals signed an agreement to allow biologics maker MedImmune to study and potentially commercialize the cancer-killing virus that Omnis has been designing. Additional coverage: Minneapolis /St. Paul Business Journal

WCCO, New Lieutenant Governor Calls Herself ‘A Bridge Builder’… As Dayton’s first-term chief of staff, she was directly involved in the state’s most visible–and polarizing–issues:Legalizing gay marriage, a new Vikings stadium, a three-week government shutdown, after battling Republicans to a budget standoff, the economic development of Rochester and the Mayo Clinic. Despite having more experience than most at the Capitol, when Dayton asked her to be his running mate, her immediate reaction was less than enthusiastic.

Pioneer Press, Tax conformity bill passes legislative committees… In the House Taxes Committee, the bill was amended Tuesday to include clarifying language related to how state aid is calculated for the Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center project in Rochester.

Miami Herald (AP), Tax bill matching up Minnesota, federal code steams ahead by Brian Bakst. Minnesota lawmakers moved Tuesday to set up swift approval of tax deductions and credits affecting thousands of people and business owners getting ready to file 2014 forms...The House bill differs slightly by also correcting a technical problem with a previously enacted Mayo Clinic expansion subsidy. Murky wording in the original proposal made it tougher for communities partnering in Mayo's giant Destination Medical Center venture to unlock state aid.

La Prensa, Del Potro gets win in return to ATP Tour in Sydney. Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, returned to the ATP Tour on Tuesday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky in Sydney following a nearly one-year layoff due to injury… Dr. Richard Berger operated on the Argentine star's left wrist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, last March. Additional coverage: FOX News Latino

Huffington Post, The Perfect Workout for Parents: 7 Minutes by Tracy Cutchlow…A "lethal activity" is what Mayo Clinic researcher James Levine calls excessive sitting. One study found that those who sit more than four hours a day are at a 50 percent higher risk of chronic disease compared with those who sit less than four hours a day. And a recent study of rats showed that being sedentary rewires the brain, changing the shape and function of neurons that control blood pressure.

MedCity News, The 8 categories of crowdsourcing in healthcare by Chris Hoffman…As we enter 2015, crowdsourcing is evolving healthcare’s social media landscape yet again. Crowdsourcing involves soliciting input, ideas, services and capital from online communities as opposed to traditional suppliers…Could large health systems like Cleveland Clinic or Mayo Clinic partner with a transportation platform like Uber to deliver medications, or shuttle care providers to a patient’s home for a medical assessment, house call or post-acute care follow up?

Arizona Family, New treatment offering relief to some multiple sclerosis patients by Brandy Aguilar. Patients with multiple sclerosis are finding relief with a new treatment, but not everyone in the medical community is so sure. However, a Tucson man is behind it 100 percent. “It would be wonderful if it shed some new insight into what causes MS,” said neurologist Jonathan Carter with Mayo Clinic Arizona. “At this point, our level of knowledge is not high enough that I would send my patients off to have the procedure done. I would want to see more data.”

Medscape, Misguided Aspirin Use in 1 in 10 Low-Risk Heart-Clinic Patients: StudyEmphasizes Need to Calculate Underlying Risk. Asked to comment, Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN) said that "the most important message is to recognize that there are people [who take] aspirin believing that they are protecting themselves from having heart attacks when they are actually exposing themselves to the [bleeding] risks of taking aspirin and likely having no benefit at all." This likely represents millions of people, given the widespread use of aspirin, he noted.

Mankato Free Press, Tips for a healthier lifestyle by Nate Gotlieb. The formula for losing weight is simple, says Dr. Steve Campbell of Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato: Burn more calories than you take in. Here are some of Campbell’s tips on losing weight and developing healthy habits…

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Distance runner with terminal cancer finds joy running to live rather than to die by Christena O’Brien. Convinced he would never run again, Dave Eitrheim — diagnosed with terminal cancer May 22 — retired his lifetime entry into Duluth’s Grandma’s Marathon and gave away his favorite pair of running shoes to a friend… Eitrheim, a longtime family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Cedar in Menomonie, credits his palliative care physician and former colleague, Dr. Jim Deming, with encouraging him.

National Cancer Institute, Mayo researchers find cancer biopsies do not promote cancer spread. A study of more than 2,000 patients by researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Fla., has dispelled the myth that cancer biopsies cause cancer to spread. In the Jan. 9 online issue of Gut, they show that patients who received a biopsy had a better outcome and longer survival than patients who did not have a biopsy. Additional coverage: WebMD, MedlinePlus, MedicineNet, Medical News Today, DailyRx

La Crosse Tribune, Thompson to step down as Gundersen CEO; replacement expected by June. Gundersen Health System CEO Jeff Thompson announced Monday that he will be stepping down, and Gundersen has begun the search for a new CEO… Thompson also has earned the appreciation of competitors, with Dr. Tim Johnson, CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, saying, “Dr. Thompson has been a valued colleague, a respected leader, while being a strong contributor to the health care community here in La Crosse.”

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Internet use, mobile technology are gaining attention in the field of psychology… In practice Psychotherapist Brien Gleeson hasn’t seen any patient at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire for treatment of Internet addiction alone, but it can play a role in what brings some people to his care. “That’s usually not the main issue,” he said. “Sometimes it can be an additional problem, a confounding factor.”

NCCI Des Moines, New bill could help 50 percent of women in breast cancer detection by Laura Nichols. One Iowa woman said if she had known one piece of information, her breast cancer could have been detected years earlier. Now, new legislation could change the way mammogram results are interpreted… Dense breasts look much whiter on a mammogram X-ray, often masking a white cancer spot. “I was at the Mayo Clinic, and they told me that my cancer has actually been there for five years,” Pargulski said That's why Bridget and several other Iowa breast cancer survivors want lawmakers to pass a bill that would require health care providers to notify women if their breasts are dense so they can discuss other options with their doctors.

Entrepreneur, 10 Ways to Make This the Year You Sleep Better5. Have a few bedtime strategies in mind. Trying to go to sleep earlier than usual isn’t easy for some people. Many have difficulty tuning out the world at night. Become familiar with strategies like guided relaxation, deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation and other calm-inducing tactics. (The Mayo Clinic's site provides a good overview.) Having tools on tap to fall back on helps avoid stress and anxiety around bedtime.

Men’s Health, The Cardio Benefits of Yoga by Michael Easter… While yoga may not burn as many calories—the Mayo Clinic estimates that it expends just 228 calories in an hour while lifting and running use up 455 and 755, respectively—the activity still has a critical place in the routine of any fitness fanatic.

Huffington Post, Stroke Down to Fifth-Leading Killer in U.S. -- Here's What the Statistical Change Really Means by Nancy Brown, CEO, AHA, In the 1970s, Joseph Broderick was a resident at the Mayo Clinic in need of a focus for his fellowship. He decided to give stroke research a try… By the mid-1980s, Dr. Broderick had worked his way up to being one of the lead authors of a paper that reported a decline and then stabilization in stroke rates in Rochester. Yet, over the decades since, stroke as a cause of death continued to decline across the United States.

Utah Policy, Health Care the 'Utah Way'… It turns out Utah is one of the brightest stars when it comes to health care too—the state rises above the rest in rankings for both resident healthiness and overall low health costs… Utah continues to dominate multiple rankings for health care value. In addition, the University of Utah Health Care has frequently ranked in the top 10 in the nation for quality, shouldered against the likes of the Mayo Clinic, NYU Medical Center and more.

Mankato Free Press, Participants see dramatic results in Mankato Meltdown by Nate Gotlieb, About 850 people lost more than 8,000 pounds in the 2014 Mankato Meltdown, a community-wide, three-month weight-loss challenge. This year’s event, organized by members of the Free Press advertising sales team and sponsored by Fitness for $10 and Mayo Clinic Health System, among others, is expected to draw more than 1,000 participants.

Florida Times-Union, Honoring Choices Florida aims to get people talking about how health-care decisions will be made 'if I couldn't make them' by Charlie Patton, About 14 percent of people who die in a hospital or other health-care facility in Jacksonville have what is known as advanced-care directives, documents making clear the person’s wishes about future health-care decisions. … The six health-care systems that have been involved in the pilot project for Honoring Choices Florida are St. Vincent’s HealthCare, Baptist Health, University of Florida Health-Jacksonville, Brooks Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic and Flagler Hospital, said Jamie Bulller, director of advanced planning for Community Hospital for Northeast Florida.

NewsMax Health, Arthritis Tied to Gut Bacteria by Nike Tate… The truth is that doctors aren’t entirely sure what triggers the disease, in which the body turns on itself to attack the joints. But several recent studies have found intriguing links between gut microbes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other immune system disorders, The Atlantic reports…“It’s become more and more clear that these microbes can affect the immune system, even in diseases that are not in the gut,” says Veena Taneja, an immunologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, whose own research has also linked gut bacteria to rheumatoid arthritis.

Phoenix Business Journal, State land commissioner's resignation causes concern for Phoenix biomedical hub by Angela Gonzales, Now that the state land commissioner has resigned, the developer of the proposed biomedical corridor near Mayo Clinic's hospital in north Phoenix is worried about the future of his $1 billion project. Marvin Suomi, president and CEO of KUD International LLC, said he was hoping for a state land auction in May or June, but now said that may be delayed until Vanessa Hickman's replacement is named. So far, he has invested $2 million in prep money into the biomedical research park he hopes to build near Mayo Clinic's hospital.

CNN Money, Cardio3 BioSciences to Host Investor & Analyst Day in New York on Friday, January 30, 2015… The event will bring together scientific experts and key opinion leaders in cardiology and immuno-oncology from the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine (MD, USA), the Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester (UK), the Mayo Clinic (MN, USA), Dartmouth College (NH, USA) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (MA, USA).

The Atlantic, Joint Pain, From the Gut by David Kohn…“It’s become more and more clear that these microbes can affect the immune system, even in diseases that are not in the gut,” says Veena Taneja, an immunologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who has found clear differences in the bacterial populations of mice bred to be genetically prone to rheumatoid arthritis. In those more susceptible to the disease, a species of bacteria from the Clostridium family dominates. In mice without arthritis, other strains flourish, and the Clostridium strains are scarce.

Huffington Post, The Ultimate Minimalist Workout by Brad Stulberg and co-authored by Dr. Michael Joyner, anesthesiologist and physiologist at Mayo Clinic. We both know travel well -- as a former McKinsey and Company consultant and a scientist who studies a topic of global interest -- we are familiar with life on the road. But airline status (overrated) is not all that we share in common. We are also both completely, 100 percent exercise-dependent. As in the kind that will probably make its way into the next version of the DSM.

The Guardian, Live forever: Scientists say they’ll soon extend life ‘well beyond 120’ by Zoe Corbyn. Fixing the ‘problem’ of aging is the mission of Silicon Valley, where billions is pouring into biotech firms working to ‘hack the code’ of life – despite concerns about the social implications...James Kirkland, a researcher who studies aging at the Mayo Clinic, says he knows of about 20 drugs now – more than six of which had been written up in scientific journals – that extended the lifespan or health span of mice.

Mankato Free Press, Speaking of Health: Managing persistent pain By Erin Westfall, D.O. Mayo Clinic Health System. Everyone feels pain sometimes, but persistent pain can be frustrating and exhausting. It can interfere with your work, your sleep, your emotional health and your relationships. Not to mention, as the name implies, persistent pain is painful. But there are ways to manage the pain and take control of your life.

City A.M. London, The sitting killer: Is 2015 the year standing desks finally take off?... The office chair might be killing your productivity too. James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in the US and author of Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You, has written that “our bodies are programmed to move... Sitting causes your central nervous system to slow down, leading to fatigue.” Some suggest that abandoning your chair banishes the dreaded mid-afternoon productivity slump.

AP, Expert: Kick To Head A Minor Factor In Ex-Player's Injury. A prosecution expert said in a report released Friday that a kick, allegedly delivered by former Minnesota Gophers quarterback Philip Nelson, probably did not cause the critical brain injury suffered by former Minnesota State, Mankato, linebacker Isaac Kolstad during a fight.…Kolstad suffered from a severe brain injury that required emergency surgery. Doctors once feared he wouldn't live, but he spent months recovering at Mayo Clinic and a specialized rehab facility in the Twin Cities. Additional coverage: ABC News, Pioneer Press

Modern Healthcare, Proposed regulation of lab tests draws mixed reviews at workshop by Jaimy Lee. A Food and Drug Administration proposal to regulate laboratory-developed tests could upend a clinical sector that provides thousands of tests to healthcare providers every day, raising costs and potentially limiting patient access, detractors say…FDA regulation of lab tests won't guarantee better quality and may also limit access to community healthcare, Dr. Curtis Hanson, a hematopathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, said Friday at the workshop. The Mayo Clinic uses about 1,600 laboratory-developed tests. “Let's be sure we know what problem we're fixing,” he said.

Bismarck Tribune, Baby brings 'speed bump' by Allyson Krupinsky. Brian and Caitlin Veitz met in college…They've been married for nearly five years and are pregnant with their first baby, Kieran Jane Veitz. "Her heart's outside her chest,” Caitlin Veitz said. “Yes,” the doctor replied. Ectopia cordis is a rare condition in which the heart is located partially or completely out of the chest. Kieran's ventricles are outside her chest, but her atrium is inside… Since Caitlin Veitz will be going through a scheduled cesarean section, she will go to Mayo Clinic a month before her due date, April 7… The Veitzes said they have good feelings about their cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Joseph Dearani, from their meetings with him and his prior experience: He helped separate a pair of conjoined twins, one of whom needed her heart placed back inside her chest.

Pioneer Press, Desk jockeys stand up to work on getting more fit by Julio Ojeda-Zapata…But standing desks also could help office workers get to a better place health-wise -- albeit indirectly -- because those who are standing up are likelier to move around, said James Levine, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist who is an authority on the bad effects of sitting. "People who have a standing desk generally rock from foot to foot, and when you're up you inevitably walk more," Levine said. "You go to the printer, you go grab some water."

Cosmopolitan, The Devastating Illness That Doctors Brushed Off as PMS…She saw a staggering number of doctors — about two dozen — and got nowhere. It wasn't until she got accepted by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona after a four-month wait that she finally found the answer…In July 2010, she walked into the office of the man who would change her whole understanding of her body. He was Dr. Brent Goodman, a top specialist in the Southwest in autonomic disorders…"Before I did any autonomic testing, just talking to him, he knew I had POTS," she says. "He told me I fit all the criteria."

Forbes, 8 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction, Patient Experience And (By The Way) HCAHPS Scores by Micah Solomon…7. Understand that improving patient satisfaction is about systems just as much as it is about smiles.  When we discuss improving patient satisfaction and the patient experience, physicians often think we are going to focus on making them “smile harder.” While genuine warmth and smiles are of value here, so are systems. For example, when Mayo Clinic overhauled their scheduling system they employed (according to the great Leonard L Berry) industrial engineers using stopwatches to time wheelchairs between appointment locations in order to ensure that correct scheduling algorithms were created.

Seattle Times, Vashon artist among those who worked on handmade St. John’s Bible by Mary Ann Gwinn, Vashon Island artist Suzanne Moore was one of the select artisans chosen to work on The Saint John’s Bible, a massive hand-lettered, hand-illustrated tome that was created in the same way books were made before the printing press… Today, Moore's illustrations lie within the pages of the original Saint John's Bible, on display at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library on the campus of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. "Heritage Editions," fine-art replicas of the original, have been acquired by institutions including Yale University, the Mayo Clinic, the Vatican Library and Gonzaga University in Spokane. Additional coverage: Pioneer Press

Pioneer Press, Charley Walters: Torii Hunter eager to have Ervin Santana as Twins teammate…A new emphasis on preventing injuries was put in place when Flip Saunders took control of the Timberwolves two years ago, but still debilitating injuries happened to Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic. "Sometimes it takes time to implement (plans), but it has nothing to do with Rubio spraining his ankle, Kevin Martin breaking his hand, and Pekovic is something we've worked with, but he's a guy we just haven't been able to get a handle on," Saunders said. "But he's been to Mayo (Clinic) a bunch of times, they're working with him and we're doing everything we can."

KVOA Tucson, N4T Investigators: Cancer Drug Shortage by Marisa Mendelson. After a cancer patient couldn't get access to a potentially life-saving drug, he called the News 4 Tucson Investigators to try to find out why. Investigative Reporter Marisa Mendelson found out his medication is part of a world-wide shortage. BCG is used to treat bladder cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, BCG likely works by stimulating the body's immune system.

Star Tribune, Nonprofit Health Care, Is revenue really sinful for something like this? A Jan. 4 commentary (“Can you heal me now?”) decried the unwarranted profitability of a number of large Minnesota health care nonprofits, citing some pretty large dollar “margins.” No revenue numbers were given. I took a quick look on the Mayo Clinic’s website, and the most recent full-year financials (2012) on the site show operating income (excluding donations and earnings on the investment portfolio) at 4.4 percent of operating revenues, with these earnings equaling about 6.5 percent of operating (again, non-endowment) assets. Contrast this with toy company Mattel for the same year: margins of 16 percent on sales, returning 15.6 percent on the asset base…Mike Garbisch, Roseville

Harpers Bazaar, The Dash Diet Ranked Number 1 For 2015 by Megan Friedman…Other top diets include the TLC Diet, created by the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and Weight Watchers. Here's the top 10, and you can see the full list at U.S. News and World Reports website.

Huffington Post, The 7 Biggest Myths About Metabolism -- Busted!, by David Zinczenko (ABC News Wellness Editor)…Caffeine may provide a bit of a boost to the metabolism, especially when ingested before exercise, but no amount of metabolic boost can burn off the empty calories that energy drinks supply. According to one study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a typical energy drink serves up a quarter cup of sugar -- calories that hit your body all at once and trigger fat storage.

KARE11, Bison Nation helps former cheerleader. A former Bison cheerleader who is battling cancer has just had her sixth surgery and is undergoing chemotherapy. Ashley Seykora was diagnosed with melanoma while pregnant with her second child. While her son was born healthy, the cancer spread within her body. She is now stage 4…Ashley says she's been working with Mayo Clinic, but is considering going to a hospital in Texas where they specialize in melanoma treatment.

First Coast News, Preparations well underway for 26.2 with Donna Marathon to be held February 15…"Everybody out here is excited to have this event, and half the people who are out here are neighbors who have big block parties for when people come by," said Deegan…The race has raised almost four million dollars for cancer research at the Mayo Clinic and that is making positive strides. They raise money to help women living with breast cancer.

The Interrobang, Comedian Rick Shapiro Talks About Doing Comedy With Parkinsons…One doctor even told Rick– under his breath– maybe you should take up basketball. A year later, for the first time, a doctor told them that she felt Shapiro needed a doctor who knew more than she did, and referred Rick and Tracy to the Mayo Clinic….At the Mayo Clinic, Shapiro was told he may have Parkinson’s Disease, and that there was a DaT test that Rick could take that would let them know if he had the disease.

Motley Fool, Can You Guess the Most Common Reason People Visit the Doctor?… With this in mind the Mayo Clinic undertook a study between 2005 and 2009 that examined 142,377 patients to precisely determine why they went to the doctor. Understandably, some people went to see their doctors for more than just one reason, so all of the disease indications applied in the Mayo Clinic study. Following its multiyear study, the Mayo Clinic was able to aggregate its data to determine what the most common reasons are for people to visit their doctors.

Oncology Nurse Advisor, High-definition scopes accurately assess polyps by Kathy Boltz, Ph.D…."A colonoscopy is a fairly expensive procedure, and a large portion of the cost is the pathological analysis of polyps that are removed to check whether they are precancerous or benign, which is a check that determines when a patient needs another colonoscopy," said the study's senior investigator and gastroenterologist, Michael Wallace, MD, MPH, of Mayo.

Post-Bulletin, Letter: DMCC is changing what Mayo Clinic means to the world by Barbara Upton. My dictionary defines Rochester as "a city in Minnesota, 70 miles southeast of St. Paul; the site of the Mayo Clinic. Population 41,000." In the U.S., Mayo is pronounced like the shortened form of mayonnaise, a food dressing, but in Latin America, Mayo means May, the fifth month of the year, and is pronounced accordingly.

Seattle Times, Experimental MS treatment halts disease ‘in its tracks’ by JoNel Aleccia. A Seattle man is among two dozen MS patients in a promising clinical trial that found high-dose immune-suppressing drugs and stem-cell transplants may stop the progress of the disease in those who've failed usual care…But some experts said they’d like to see more robust results. In an editorial accompanying the new study, Dr. Brian Weinshenker of the Mayo Clinic and Dr. M. Mateo Paz Soldan of the University of Utah concluded: “The jury is still out regarding the appropriateness and indications of HCT for MS.”

KTTC, Winter blues can affect more than just our mood, but mental health by Ali Killam. Seasonal affective disorder impacts millions of Americans during the late fall and winter months. "There's less light availability and that, in turn, disrupts Circadian rhythms and in turn, leads to further depression," says Dr. Craig Sawchuk, a clinical psychologist at Mayo Clinic.

TIME, Why Some Experts Want Mandatory Flu Shots For School Kids by Justin Worland. How do you prevent elderly people from dying from the flu? Immunize preschoolers, infectious disease experts say…“This is just part of being a good citizen and not hurting your neighbor,” says Jon C. Tilburt, a medical professor at the Mayo Clinic. “It’s good for your neighbor’s kids and it’s good for grandma.”

Journal of Emergency Medical Services, Workplace Fatigue Creates Dangerous Risks for EMS Employees… Mental Health. A recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience by researchers from the University of Bonn, King’s College London, suggests sleep deprivation leads otherwise healthy people to enter into a psychological state similar to that of schizophrenic psychosis. “There are a lot of physiological changes that occur with sleep,” says Timothy Morgenthaler, a consultant at the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn. “One of the main hypotheses is that one primary function of sleep is to help eliminate metabolic waste products of the mental processes in your brain. Sleep clears those waste products out and replenishes the energy inside brain cells.”

La Crosse Tribune, Gardeners' thoughts turn to seeds when weather outside is frightful by Mike Tighe… Although seed libraries in other states, including Minnesota, have been challenged by state and federal officials over agriculture regulations, Becker said that has not occurred in Wisconsin. Among the Seed Library’s patrons is Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, which used tomato seedlings to launch the pilot program for its edible landscaping initiative in planters in front of the hospital and on its patio, said, Kathy Oslund, a registered dietician at Mayo-Franciscan.

Anesthesia News, Few Same-Day Interventional Spine Complications. Interventional spine procedures have low same-day complication rates, according to an analysis of 26,151 such procedures performed at several centers in the United States…The percentages were roughly similar across the institutions. There were no major complications such as permanent neurologic deficit. “This study demonstrates that interventional pain procedures are safely performed with extremely low complication rates when evidence-based guidelines are observed,” said lead investigator Carrie Carr, MD, senior associate consultant, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic.

4029 TV, Mothers-to-be: How to keep your baby healthy… A cough here and a cold there is normal, but some medical conditions are very serious. Mayo Clinic Health System obstetrician & gynecologist  Javier Cardenas, M.D., shares steps you can take before and after birth to help your baby be the healthiest he or she can be.

Valley News N.D., Mother or 2, Former Bison Cheerleader Fighting for Her Life… Ashley Seykora sealed the deal with Bison Nation when she put on a cheerleading uniform her freshman year at NDSU… During her second pregnancy, Ashley got the unwanted announcement that the melanoma she had fought the year before was back. Because she was pregnant, doctors couldn't do a lot . They didn't want to hurt the baby. Baby Beckett came three weeks early. The cancer did not spread to him, which is possible with melanoma. But, within days of his birth... Ashley got more bad news. She is now stage 4. She's working with Mayo Clinic, but now considering going to a hospital in Texas where they specialize in melanoma treatment.

Post-Bulletin, Rochester looks to lawmakers for help with $21 million in DMC costs by Heather Carlson. Rochester city officials want Minnesota lawmakers to give them the flexibility to use a city sales tax or other means to help fund $21 million in projected administrative costs related to Destination Medical Center. But there's a clash among legislators as to whether the city should even be stuck paying those costs in the first place.

HemOnc Today, TH-302 regimen improved PFS, response in pancreatic cancer…TH-302 (Threshold Pharmaceuticals) — a hypoxia-activated, cytotoxic prodrug designed to release the DNA alkylator bromoisophosphoramide mustard in hypoxic settings — has demonstrated clinical activity in several types of solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer. Mitesh J. Borad, MD, assistant professor of medicine and director of phase 1 drug development at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., and colleagues conducted an open-label, multicenter trial to evaluate the combination of TH-302 and gemcitabine in previously untreated pancreatic cancer.

Mankato Free Press, Speaking of Health: Managing persistent pain By Erin Westfall, D.O. Mayo Clinic Health System. Everyone feels pain sometimes, but persistent pain can be frustrating and exhausting. It can interfere with your work, your sleep, your emotional health and your relationships. Not to mention, as the name implies, persistent pain is painful. But there are ways to manage the pain and take control of your life.

Nephrology News, Simple tools increase CKD diagnosis and referral in primary care settings…Simple clinical tools can promote coordination of care between primary care practitioners (PCPs) and nephrologists, resulting in improved documentation, diagnosis and referral of patients with chronic kidney disease, according to a new study in the January issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. "CKD is common and costly, both in terms of dollars and quality of life, and is mostly preventable," said William Haley, MD, the lead researcher with the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

Vox, Why a 17-year-old with cancer is being forced to undergo chemo against her will. A state can force a 17-year-old cancer patient to receive chemotherapy treatments against her will, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The court found that the state has not violated the rights of a 17-year-old identified as Cassandra C., who's receiving forced chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma.… Hodgkin's lymphoma is frequently treated with chemotherapy, which does have possible long-term side effects including heart damage and lung damage and fertility issues, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Everyday Health, 5 Strange Reasons You Have a Headache by Amy Kraft. Millions of Americans suffer from debilitating headaches. According to Mayo Clinic, a primary headache is caused by “problems with or over activity of pain-sensitive structures in your head.” But there are also lesser-known, even strange causes of headaches.

Echo Press Alexandria, Minn., Rare disorder confirms faith, gives purpose… In early 2012, Jennifer Larson, 38, of Alexandria, woke up with a headache that caused her to be sensitive to light. The following weeks included fevers, nausea, blind spots, dizzy spells and burning eyes. The answer finally appeared at the end of her visit and it came in the form of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). IIH is a neurological condition of unknown cause defined by increased intracranial pressure (ICP) around the brain without the presence of a tumor. MAKING IT TO MAYO Larson turned back to God to bring peace to her heart in the difficult waiting period of what would be next for her. Two weeks later, she said God got her into Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Star Tribune, Ten candidates vie for 5 spots on U of M's Board of Regents...First District: Dr. Claire Bender, who retired in December as a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and Randy Simonson, CEO and president of Grazix Animal Health in Worthington. The winner will replace Dr. Patricia Simmons, another Mayo physician, who is stepping down after two terms.

EHR Intelligence, Telemedicine, Remote Care Projects Expand into School Districts. Telemedicine is moving into school districts as a way to provide care for low-level complaints without expensive and time-consuming disruptions for children… The Mayo Clinic recently announced a new collaboration with the Austin Public Schools of Minnesota which will bring walk-in telehealth kiosks to the school district’s staff and their dependents, allowing patients to speak with Mayo clinicians through videoconferencing while making use of the kiosk’s suite of available medical devices… “Mayo Clinic is committed to reducing health care expenses for employees and employers by improving access to medical services through convenient and more affordable care through Mayo Clinic Health Connection,” said Mark Ciota, MD, CEO at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin.

Let’s Play Hockey, From tragedy comes hope. This is a positive story about support and healing and determination. This is a story about a youngster’s positive attitude, strength and determination…This is the story of Cole Borchardt… On August 6, 2014, Cole and three of his closest friends spent a hot summer’s afternoon swimming…On their way home, a terrible and tragic automobile accident occurred… Miracles in life come about in many forms. According to Heidi and Bret Borchardt, a surgeon was traveling southbound on Highway 52 on his way to work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and arrived on the scene nearly immediately after the accident occurred. The doctor immediately called for an airlift to a hospital for one of the survivors, Cole Borchardt, on the accident scene.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Academic hospitals vie for new resources. Highmark and Allegheny Health Network closed out 2014 by announcing a 10-year clinical and research partnership with Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine…But increasingly, it means reaching outside of the medical center’s traditional geographic footprint into other cities or states, not necessarily to fill beds back home, but to deploy physicians and other resources across a wider base. Some do it by way of branded hospitals (think the Mayo Clinic, which has hospitals in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota).

Barron News-Shield, Barron Ambulance Service part of Gold Cross entity. Mayo Clinic Health System Ambulance Services in Barron and Osseo now are part of Gold Cross Ambulance. Gold Cross is a service of Mayo Clinic Medical Transport, which also includes Mayo One, Mayo MedAir and Mayo Emergency Communications Center. “Community members can expect to see a different logo on the ambulances and staff uniforms,” says Rita Sullivan, vice president of operations at Mayo Clinic Health System – Northland in Barron.

El Universal Venezuela, Las biopsias no provocan la diseminación del cancer, Un estudio realizado por los científicos de la sede de Mayo Clinic en Jacksonville, Florida, en más de 2000 pacientes disipó el mito que las biopsias causan la diseminación del cancer…Los científicos estudiaron el cáncer de páncreas, pero los resultados probablemente aplican también en otros tipos de cáncer debido a la técnica de diagnóstico empleada en el estudio (de aspiración con aguja fina) que es muy utilizada en todo tipo de tumor, comenta el investigador , Dr. Michael Wallace, gastroenterólogo y profesor de medicina.

Acento Veintiuno, Gripe en personas mayores puede ser de gravedad…El Dr. James Li, de Alergología de Mayo Clinic en Rochester, Minnesota, explica que la influenza o gripe, es una infección viral que por lo general produce fiebre, escalofríos, tos y dolor de cabeza. En quienes padecen otras enfermedades o dolencias, así como en las personas sanas mayores de 50 años, la gripe puede conducir a enfermedades graves que requieren hospitalización. Anualmente, miles de personas mueren debido a las complicaciones de la gripe.

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