Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor, Carmen Zwicker

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 Laura Wuotila with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.

 

Wall Street Journal
Big Bets on Proton Therapy Face Uncertain Future

Six new proton-beam centers are set to start delivering state-of-the-art radiation to cancer patients around the country by year’s end. Ten more are expected by 2018, bringing the U.S. total to 30—many the size of a football field and costing between $100 million and $200 million to build.The projects, long in the works, will enter an uncertain market. Proton-beam therapy, a highly precise form of radiation, has been dogged by a lack of evidence that it is better than traditional radiation despite costing significantly more… Some hospitals have turned to private donations, rather than private equity, to finance proton operations. Next month, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., plans to start treating patients at its $180 million proton center, one of two built with the help of a $100 million gift.

Reach: The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, has the largest print circulation in America with 1.4 million (60 percent) of a total of 2.3 million. Its website has more than 4.3 million unique visitors each month.

Context: Mayo Clinic hosted a grand opening event for the Richard O. Jacobson Building, home to the Mayo Clinic proton beam therapy program on May 9. The new facility will begin treating patients in late June. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contacts: Joe Dangor, Jim McVeigh, Traci Klein

 

Health Leaders Media
Shriners Hospitals joins Mayo Clinic network to enhance physician collaboration

Mayo Clinic expertise will now be available to patients and providers at Shriners Hospitals for Children as part of a new network relationship between the health care systems. Shriners Hospitals, with 22 locations throughout North America, announced Tuesday that it has joined the national Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Reach: HealthLeaders magazine focuses on the healthcare industry and has a monthly circulation of more than 40,000. HealthLeaders Online receives more than 43,000 unique visitors to its website each month.

Additional coverage: Tampa Bay Business Journal, Shriners Hospitals joins Mayo Clinic network; Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay Times, Benzinga

Context: Mayo Clinic and Shriners Hospitals for Children today announced Shriners Hospitals for Children as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a national network of organizations committed to better serving patients and their families through physician collaboration. The network will allow Shriners Hospitals for Children, a national health care system, to offer providers and patients convenient access to additional expertise from Mayo Clinic. The closer relationship will enhance the delivery of local care and promote peace of mind as providers and patients make health care decisions. “With Mayo Clinic’s similar mission of providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research, a relationship will give Shriners Hospitals the opportunity to further transform children’s lives,” said Dale W. Stauss, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Kevin Punsky

 

Fast Company
The $6.5 Billion, 20-Year Plan To Transform An American City
by Neal Ungerleider

The Mayo Clinic is located in the small city of Rochester (pop. 111,000), about a two-hour drive from Minneapolis, Minnesota. And it is, right this minute, competing fiercely for a small-but-extremely-lucrative slice of the global medical tourism industry. The wealthy American, European, east Asian, and Gulf Arab patients who have been the clinic’s bread and butter have been instead choosing to get treatment abroad or at domestic rivals like Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University or the Cleveland Clinic. But that may be changing—and the reason, if not the construction, is simple: the Destination Medical Center.

Reach: Fast Company's editorial focus is on innovation in technology, ethonomics (ethical economics), leadership, and design. Written for, by, and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company and FastCompany.com inspire readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations, and create the future of business.

Additional coverage:  Builder Magazine

Context: Destination Medical Center (DMC) is an innovative economic development initiative to secure Minnesota's status as a global medical destination now and in the future. The latest updates on DMC can be found on the DMC blog.

Contact: Jamie Rothe

 

Star Tribune
Doctor burnout is a rising problem in Minnesota medicine
by Jeremy Olson

… Mayo Clinic researchers, however, found that doctors can shield patients for only so long, and that left undetected burnout can lead to medication errors and other mistakes. “By the time you start seeing effects on patients, physicians have gotten so rundown that they’re just not able to buffer patients from what they’re feeling anymore,” said Dr. Colin West, a Mayo internist who has co-written several burnout studies.

Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation.

Context: Burnout is a common problem among U.S. doctors and studies suggest it adversely impacts quality of care and patient satisfaction. Many factors impact how physicians perceive their career. A new study suggests there’s an interesting correlation between physician burnout and the effectiveness of their supervisors. That’s what researchers found at Mayo Clinic when they undertook a large internal study on the satisfaction of physicians and the leadership qualities of their supervisors. The findings appear in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Bob Nellis

 

Cosmopolitan (blog), Interview Insider: How to Get Hired at the Mayo Clinic — Mayo Clinic was born out of one physician's practice in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1863. Today it is one of the nation's largest nonprofit health care networks treating more than 1 million patients a year and employing nearly 60,000 medical professionals, research scientists, and support staff. Its employees enjoy benefits that range from convenient (gym memberships, tuition reimbursement) to life-changing (education scholarships for children and dependents, and adoption reimbursement). Fortune magazine has named it one of the best 100 companies to work for 12 years in a row. Brent Bultema, Mayo's director of recruitment strategies, shares what he's looking for in the clinic's future employees.

Yahoo! Health, 8 Myths About Metabolism You Need to Stop Believing, by Laura Tedesco — Most of us know the basic formula for weight loss: If calories out exceed calories in, the pounds will fall off. But what sounds so simple can actually be a bit complicated when you consider the “calories out” half of the equation…Plus, if you’re eating multiple times a day, you may end up overeating, allowing your mini meals to turn into full-size ones, says Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

BuzzFeed, 12 Things To Remember When Checking Your Balls For Lumps by Matt Ortile…Testicular self-checks can be a mysterious thing. They’re just balls, right? Why bother? BuzzFeed Life spoke to Dr. James McKiernan, urologist-in-chief at New York–Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, and Dr. Brad Leibovich, the chair of urology at the Mayo Clinic, to figure out the whys and hows of carpe-ing your testes.

Scottsdale Independent, Mayo Clinic study: Most dog bites caused by the family pet — Prior studies have shown that most dog bite injuries result from family dogs. A new study conducted by Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Children’s Hospital shed some further light on the nature of these injuries. The American Veterinary Association has designated this week as Dog Bite Prevention Week… “More than 60 percent of the injuries we studied required an operation,” said lead author Erin Garvey, M.D., a surgical resident at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Additional coverage: Medical Xpress, Consumer Affairs

Medscape, Gastric Balloon Fills Stomach, Leads to Weight Loss by Caroline Helwick — An intragastric balloon system is an effective and safe addition to lifestyle interventions for promoting weight loss in obese patients, new research has demonstrated. And weight loss is preserved even after the device is removed, said Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Des Moines Register, Kidney donation provides miracle for Iowa family by Deb McMahon — My family received a miracle at the Mayo Clinic! My dear sister Pam will not have to receive dialysis treatments due to polycystic kidney disease. Pam received that lifesaving kidney just in the nick of time…The miracle happened at the Mayo Clinic under the able hands of Dr. Mikel Prieto and his assistants. Of course the miracle could only happen with a donor. Our angel donor changed my sister's life and there is no way we could ever repay her.

Medscape, Stopping Anticoagulation After Ablation Increases Stroke Risk in First 3 Months — Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently stop oral anticoagulation therapy following radio frequency catheter ablation despite an increased risk for stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or systemic embolism in the first 3 months after the procedure, according to the results of a new analysis[1].…"Everybody should continue to take an oral anticoagulant in the first few months after an ablation," lead investigator Dr Peter Noseworthy (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN) told heartwire from Medscape.

WKBT La Crosse, Container Gardens offering greener spaces at Mayo — Visitors at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse will notice a lot more green soon, along with many other colors…“It's a great way to educate people how to work in a garden in an urban landscape area. For our patients, this is viewable from their patient rooms, so we hope this brings a smile to their face when they look out their windows,” said Registered Dietician Kathy Oslund.

Fast Company, How To Design An Office For Maximizing Employee Happiness by Lydia Dishman… You don’t have to exercise to release those feel-good endorphins, according to James Levine, an endocrinologist and researcher at the Mayo Clinic. Levine found that an hour of strenuous activity doesn’t counteract eight hours of sitting.

Yahoo! Health, Doctors Are Posting Pictures of Themselves Asleep at Work to Highlight Grueling Schedules by Amy Capetta — It all started a few weeks ago when a patient at a hospital in Mexico snapped a photo of a junior doctor sound asleep during her overnight shift. This patient posted the picture on a blog, followed by this comment: “We are aware that this is a tiring job but doctors are obliged to do their work. There are dozens of patients in need of attention.”…However, the issue of resident physicians suffering from chronic sleep deprivation has been researched. In 2012, the Mayo Clinic concluded that poor sleep quality during 24-hour shifts resulted in lack of performance and safety “causing potentially adverse implications for patient care.”

Cannon Falls Beacon, Mayo Dr. Megan Johnston Flanders enjoys the small-town life of CF by Ken Haggerty — Whether growing up on a potato farm in Grafton, ND (population about 4,200) to working and living in Cannon Falls (population about 4,000), Megan Johnston Flanders, M.D. at Mayo Clinic Health System- Cannon Falls, says she always enjoyed living in a small town. "I like recognizing faces when I'm going around town," Johnston Flanders said.

KQED Science, Your Heart in 3D: Surgeons Can Now Practice on a Simulation by Christina Farr…To date, it has recruited 45 “members” or partners from the scientific community, who were independently researching cardiac disease or a function of the heart. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University and the University of Oxford, among others, have opted to test-drive the simulation.

People Magazine, Michigan Family's Traveling Stuffed Toy Delivers Messages of Hope Around the Country…Madeline, who is now in her 80s, has faced brain and breast cancer treatments with Will by her side. The stuffed lamb recently traveled to the Mayo Clinic with a new pal who is undergoing experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease. He was also sent to a heartbroken friend – along with homemade gingersnap cookies.

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Caps & Gowns: Student advancing at a rapid pace — Kelsey Stuttgen finished her high school education in three years. Three years after graduating from Altoona High School, she will receive her bachelor’s of science degree Saturday from UW-Eau Claire…W-Eau Claire’s biology department is “phenomenal,” Stuttgen said, noting she learned cell and molecular laboratory techniques and gained experience with animal handling and animal research on mice, which is useful for biomedical research. She participated in the research project under the guidance of Hicks, the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire surgeon who fixed her leg.

State Press (Ariz.), Students fight childhood obesity with specialized solutions — As a solution for childhood obesity remains unknown, three groups of ASU students recently received grants to lead projects that promote healthy lifestyles for Arizona children. Backed by Mayo Clinic’s partnership with ASU Obesity Solutions, the groups participated in a university-wide competition this spring that offered grants to groups with creative solutions for the obesity crisis.

Chicago Tribune, Buffalo Grove family helps organize lupus walk at Montrose Harbor by Ronnie Wachter…According to the Mayo Clinic, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) "occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems — including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs."

Mail & Guardian (Africa), Birth control implant needs a shot in the arm by Ina Skosana…In February last year the national health department launched Implanon NXT, a subdermal contraceptive implant that is said to be 99% effective in protecting women against pregnancy for up to three years. The implant slowly releases low doses of hormones (progestin) to stop the egg from being released to meet the sperm, according to the Mayo Clinic, a US-based medical treatment service.

TIME, Bernard Harris to Grads: You Are an Infinite Being With Infinite Possibilities…Bernard Harris gave this commencement speech at Worcester Polytechnic Institute… You’ve heard the education that I had, and then eventually after I finished Mayo Clinic and I ended up at NASA Ames Research Center where I worked on my fellowship. And now with all of that education background, I figured now it’s time for me to turn toward my dreams.

Oncology Nurse Advisor, Livers donated after cardiac death safe for patients with liver cancer — According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Transplantation, researchers from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, have found that patients with liver cancer have the same positive outcomes using organs donated by patients who died as a result of cardiac death.…"Our program has one of the largest experiences in the world with liver transplants using donations after cardiac death," says the study's lead investigator, transplant surgeon Kristopher P. Croome, M.D. "We now know that these organs effectively offer new life for patients with liver cancer." Additional coverage: Healio Hepatology

Yahoo! Travel Canada, The Gross Truth About Germs and Airplanes by Sophie Forbes…So aside from arming yourself with a year’s supply of Lysol, what else can you do to minimize the transfer of bacteria and lower your risk of picking up some unmentionable illness while onboard? Stay hydrated. According to the Mayo Clinic, dehydration causes dry mouth, skin, eyes and mucous membranes.This can make you much more susceptible to infection. Use of a nasal spray will also keep the membranes in your nose and throat properly lubricated, acting as a barrier to bacteria.

Star Tribune, Tria Orthopaedic Center names New York surgeon as new CEO by Christopher Snowbeck — Tria Orthopaedic Center, one of the metro area’s largest specialty clinics for treating bone and joint problems, is hiring a new chief executive. Dr. Edward Craig, an orthopedic surgeon in New York City, will lead the Bloomington-based center starting June 1…Rochester-based Mayo Clinic opened last fall a new sports medicine clinic in downtown Minneapolis, while a large physician group in the east metro called Summit Orthopedics opened a new center last year in Vadnais Heights.

KARE11, Macadamia nut-crusted walleye with mango cabbage slaw — So many people approach healthy eating with negativity, but there are ways to make go-for-you meals that taste great. Jen Welper, executive chef for Mayo Clinic's healthy living program, joined us on KARE 11 Saturday with easy, healthful and tasty recipes to cook and entertain with this summer.

Arizona Public Media, METRO WEEK: Local Health-Care Systems Changing — In the past year, at least three Tucson-area hospitals have formed partnerships with other health care organizations in an effort to stay financially viable or to improve care. Tucson Medical Center began offering the services of Mayo Clinic specialists May 1 to give second opinions or to help patients and doctors better understand complex health care cases… Mayo Clinic and TMC—The Mayo Clinic collaboration with Tucson Medical Center is purely medical. It is meant to improve care, said Dr. Rick Anderson, chief medical officer at TMC.

Post-Bulletin, Fundraising walk brings wider recognition to rare disorder by Paul Scott,… HHT stands for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, and despite the long name, for a variety of reasons it's becoming better known of late.."…"I'm not thinking HHT for everybody with nosebleeds," said Dr. Anjali Bhagra, associate professor of internal medicine at Mayo Clinic. Doctors frequently need to look for genetic susceptibility and other symptoms before screening young children with imaging methods.

Philadelphia Tribune, Remember not to eat, lie down by Daryl Bell…Lying down after you eat can trigger these symptoms or make them worse. To avoid sleep disruptions associated with heartburn, Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, a sleep specialist with Mayo Clinic, recommends avoiding highly spicy and garlic-flavored foods late in the day. Overeating or eating highly acidic or fatty foods, such as tomato sauce, orange juice or fried foods, can also contribute to heartburn — particularly if you’re prone to the condition.”

WEAU Eau Claire, ‘Miracle’ Mick making rapid recovery, set to graduate with Chippewa Falls High School class in June…Mick arrived in a coma, facing life-threatening head injuries, a broken left arm and a fractured right hand. “When I first saw him, his neurological exam was very poor,” explains T.K. Schiefer, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System. “He had a little bit of movement but not much, and his CT scan was very worrisome.” A CT (computerized tomography) scan combines a series of X-ray images to create cross-sectional images of the body.

AP, Peeking into healthy brains to see if Alzheimer's is brewing by Lauran Neergaard — Sticky plaque gets the most attention, but now healthy seniors at risk of Alzheimer's are letting scientists peek into their brains to see if another culprit is lurking.… Yet more recent research, including a large autopsy study from the Mayo Clinic, suggests that Alzheimer's other bad actor — that tangle-forming tau protein — also plays a big role. The newest theory: Amyloid sparks a smoldering risk, but later spread of toxic tau speeds the brain destruction.

WKBT La Crosse, Common vaccine could protect kids from cancer…While the vaccine has been around for 30 years doctors are just now discovering its wider impact. "This vaccine actually is not immunizing you against cancer, it's because that you don't get the infection originally that makes it that you're not getting the cancer. ... It makes a huge difference. That's hundreds of kids not going to get leukemia who might've gotten it in the past,” said Mayo Clinic Health System Doctor CJ Menagh.

Wall Street Journal, Summertime, and Risk Grows for Kidney Stones by Sumathi Reddy — Summer is a big season for kidney stones. Doctors say more people suffer the condition when the weather is hot and dry and people become dehydrated…Fifteen percent of people who get a kidney stone will have another episode within a year, said Matthew Gettman, a professor of urology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. That rate rises to 35% to 40% within five years and 50% by 10 years. Kidney stones also are associated with other conditions, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Post-Bulletin, A healthy mid-life crisis by Paul Scott — Two years ago, Jim Onigkeit started to get serious about running...Onigkeit was the one being chased Sunday morning, leading the 20th annual Med City Marathon from start to finish. At 47, the Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist becomes the oldest runner to win the Med City, and his time of 2:54.29 is the "slowest" winning time in race history.

Minneapolis /St. Paul Business Journal, Stalled help at Capitol leaves Rochester $128 million short on huge Mayo project by Mark Reilly — The city of Rochester, which was counting on help from the Minnesota Legislature to pay for its portion of the multibillion-dollar Destination Medical Center plan, now may have to raise property taxes after the measure died in last-minute session wrangling. Finance & Commerce reports on the struggles by Rochester legislators to win approval for the city to tap into sales taxes to help raise $128 million for the project, part of a giant expansion by Mayo Clinic. The measure enjoyed support from both parties, but the bill was part of the larger package of tax relief that died in the session's final moments.

WARC Chicago, Sponsorship delivers for Mayo Clinic, The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx basketball teams — Evelyn Molloy, who leads Mayo Clinic's marketing strategy/planning for its sports medicine, international and executive health operations, discussed this topic at IEG's 2015 Sponsorship conference. The firm, she asserted, is moving into the health and wellbeing space via its Sports Medicine arm, which is aiming to ensure people stay at their physical peak all the time, rather than only treating them when ill or injured.

KMSP, Why Randy Moss surprised a Pelican Rapids student at graduation…A story published by the Associated Press during the 2003 Vikings training camp in Mankato, Minn. described how 7-year-old Kassi Spier went to lunch with No. 84 Moss nearly every day, with “her tiny hand tucked inside his.” But it was 3 years earlier, in September 2000, that their bond was strengthened by a visit to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Spier, then a 4-year-old, had been diagnosed with leukemia…In 2004, her dad died in a car accident. In 2013, she was back in the hospital, diagnosed with a brain tumor. A strong, determined Kassi Spier managed to continue school, and she graduated Friday night. The person who handed over her diploma: Randy Moss. Additional coverage: Yahoo! Sports,

Washington Times (AP), Pierre man is heir running $5.5B trust on rural health — An heir and trustee of the billions left by famed hotelier Leona Helmsley recently spoke in Pierre about all the good his late grandmother’s money can do for rural health in South Dakota. “She was a strong businesswoman with strong business ideals,” Walter Panzirer said. “And she demanded quality. But she also was a very caring person. She gave anonymously throughout her life to many causes, such as Hurricane Katrina victims and to many health care issues, such as diabetes.”...“Those states in the Upper Midwest receive only 1.2 percent of all private philanthropy for health care and 80 percent of that 1.2 percent goes to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota,” he said. “Mayo is a fine place, but Mayo doesn’t come to you, you go to Mayo.”

Yuma News Now, Boating Safety: Tips to Stay Safe on the Water… “Statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard show that watercraft accident victims are more likely to survive if they are wearing a life jacket,” says Janet Chestnut, M.D., Emergency Department director at Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls. “There are excellent models of life jackets that are comfortable and easy to put, so there really is no excuse not to wear one.”

Saint Cloud Times, CentraCare tax filing reveals pay for execs, top docs, by Kevin Allenspach — It's easy to look at high health care bills and blame the associated salaries. A review of tax filings shows CentraCare Health is near the median in salaries for executives and physicians… The top executives at St. Luke's in Duluth and Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato made about $758,000 and $491,000, respectively.

Valley Central Texas, Beach Patrol: 475 people stung by jellyfish on South Padre Island… "Jellyfish stings vary greatly in severity. Most often they result in immediate pain and red, irritated marks on the skin," according to the Mayo Clinic. "Some jellyfish stings may cause more whole-body (systemic) illness. And in rare cases jellyfish stings are life-threatening."

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Civic Center expansion draws new conventions… For the hospitality industry, having consistent traffic from events and sports tournaments held at the Mayo Civic Center will diversify its client base so they won't be "completely dependent" on the business from visiting Mayo Clinic patients, Jones said.

Wisconsin Health News, S. News & World Report rates Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire as High Performing in heart failure — Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, earned a top-tier High Performing distinction in heart failure in U.S. News & World Report ratings announced Wednesday, May 20. Mayo Clinic hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Arizona, earned the High Performing distinction in all five common care categories.

Korean Drama Stars, Mayo Clinic Hospital Picks Up Top-Tier High Performing Distinction In All Common Care Categories In Ratings Conducted By U.S. News And World Report! by Vinay Patel — Mayo Clinic Hospitals located in Rochester, Minn, and Phoenix picked up the top-tier High Performing distinction in all five common care categories in the recent ratings by US News & World Report.

Yahoo News (Reuters), Researchers oppose unvalidated gene panel tests for cancer links — A group of international researchers is making the case that genetic tests that look for multiple hereditary genes suspected of being linked to breast cancer should not be offered until they are proven to be valid and useful in clinical practice. Such tests, made by several companies including Myriad Genetics Inc, Ambry Genetics, Invitae and Illumina Inc, cover up to 100 inherited cancer genes, including more than 20 for breast cancer… "The reality is that we don't have good risk estimates for mutations that occur in many of the genes on the panels," said Fergus Couch, a breast cancer expert at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Florida Times Union, Former paramedic 'knew better,' but cut his ER visit short when it turns out he was having stroke — Wil Floyd, a retired firefighter and paramedic, knows the signs of stroke, one of which is weakness or numbness in an arm. So when Floyd, who is 71, woke up from a nap he had taken while sitting in an armchair and felt numb on the left side of his body, his instinct was to drive to the closest emergency room at Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic. But by the time he reached the hospital “everything was back to normal,” Floyd said in a recent interview.

WUSA9, Leesburg teen fights rumors about illness — A strange and debilitating illness has unleashed a litany of rumors about a teenage girl in Leesburg. Middle school is often full of difficulties, but 13-year-old Lexi Bognar has had more than her fair share. Lexi Bognar has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS causes the blood to pool in Lexi Bognar's feet and legs. "It make me pass out a lot and throw up, and its really hard to eat," she explained… There is no cure for POTs, but Lexi Bognar will soon be attending a treatment program at the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo clinic's treatment program cost $38,000, and insurance won't cover it because it's a group program, according to Wendy Bognar. The Bognar's church, McLean Bible Church, has helped them raise most of the funds for the treatment.

Redbook Magazine (blog), Why This Mom Is Proudly Posting Pictures Of Breast-Feeding Her Six-Year-Old Daughter — Maha Al Musa is a strong advocate for a woman's choice to breast-feed whenever and wherever she chooses. In hopes of supporting natural term breast-feeding, this mom-of-three posts pictures of her six-year-old daughter nursing on her Facebook page. The mom, who is featured on The Discovery Channel's "Extreme Breastfeeding" series, says she regularly breast-feeds her daughter, Aminah, and hasn't immunized her because she believes strongly in the power of her breast milk…According to the health experts, Maha is partially right. While there's no set age that's considered to be "normal" to stop breast-feeding, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Mayo Clinic say that it's perfectly safe for a mom to nurse for the first six months and to wean her child whenever she decides to.

Austin Herald, Open to online care; Health kiosks gain more patients as pilot project continues — Austin and Albert Lea are finding out people are receptive to receiving health care in new ways. Three Mayo Clinic Health Connection kiosks placed at Ellis Middle School, the former Home Health Care and Hospice building, 408 Fourth Ave. NW, and at the Austin clinic, have seen about 50 patients so far this year. “They’ve been going great,” said Melissa Barr, operations manager for Mayo Clinic Health System.

KAAL, Emotional Reunion 6 Years After Deadly Crash — May 23rd, Saturday, is the six year anniversary of the deadliest drunk driving crash in Minnesota history. 5 people were killed, including 2 children and 4 members of the same family. We've followed many updates since the crash happened - and tonight -- a reunion between the woman who survived the crash -- and one of the first responders who says because of her – he too can now move forward… James says, "Hi Rita. You probably don't recognize me. I'm James. I was the flight nurse that was on that night when you got into your accident. I took care of your grandson. I'm sorry it turned out the way it did." The two reunited at the site where the crash happened. James hadn’t seen Rita since the night of the accident.

The Telegraph, Paralysed college student walks across stage at graduation ceremony — In 2010, student Chris Norton was left paralyzed below the neck after being injured in a college football game. Last weekend, he climbed out of his wheelchair at his graduation ceremony Chris Norton's life changed forever on October 16, 2010. During a football game, Norton, a student at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, mistimed a tackle at kick-off, hyperextending his neck and fracturing his C3-C4 vertebrae. He awoke from surgery the following day with almost no movement below his neck. "The top of my shoulders, I could feel. And then after that, down, I could not feel a thing." The prognosis wasn't good: "They told me I had about a three per cent chance of ever getting anything back.".. But despite those odds, Norton wasn't prepared to accept his situation and began a gruelling regime of physical therapy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Additional coverage: Yahoo Sports (blog)

Lincoln Journal Star, Lifestyle is what stands between us and stroke — “You see that — it’s stroke damage.” The doctor pointed to white areas on the MRI results and explained Dad’s confusion, disorientation, and trouble speaking were caused by Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI). VCI is the second most common type of dementia. Cognitive losses result from brain damage due to stroke, in a single major stroke, or a series of very small ones…According to Mayo Clinic, VCI coexists with Alzheimer’s in about 20% of people who have Alzheimer’s. Doctors rely on three key elements to diagnose VCI.

Becker’s Hospital Review, 14 recent hospital, health system capital projects —Here are 14 capital projects at hospitals and health systems that were recently announced, started, changed or completed, beginning with the most recent…8. Board members of the Destination Medical Center Corp. approved two new projects in Rochester, Minn. to improve its standing as a destination medical center with Mayo Clinic.

Lake City News 10 (MCNN post), Play it safe on bike, skateboard, in-line skates — Learning to ride a bicycle is a part of most childhoods in the U.S. More than 70 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 ride bicycles, and 55 percent of those children don’t always wear a helmet, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control…  “Summer weather promotes great outdoor activities, such as biking and skateboarding,” says Steven Adamson, M.D., Emergency Department director Mayo Clinic Health System in Lake City.

MassLive.com, Scurvy, rare disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, crops up at Springfield clinic: report — It's a disease so uncommon it's usually only referenced in the punchline of a pirate joke, but a clinic on High Street has seen a high number of scurvy cases over the past five years. Baystate High Street Health Center Adult Medicine found at least 30 cases among its patients in five years, beginning in 2010, according to a report by New England Public Radio, which says this is more diagnoses than in any previous study of its kind…The Mayo Clinic says the recommended daily vitamin C intake is 65 to 90 milligrams, and the upper limit is 2,000 milligrams. Another name for vitamin C is ascorbic acid, which a doctor may recommend to treat scurvy.

Williams News, Youth football tackles concussions — Brian Brooks still remembers the first time he watched his son sustain a head injury playing tackle football. The hit left 10-year-old Carson down on the field, injured - and Brian with a parent's worst nightmare. "Of course, my first impulse was to run down to the field immediately," Brian said. "It was very hard the first time that happened, watching my kid lay there.".. "The younger brain is more vulnerable to concussion," said Dr. David Dodick, director of the Mayo Clinic concussion program in Phoenix. "Simply because our brain is made up of billions of wires, most of which are insulated. And it takes awhile to lay down that insulation on all of those wires. A lesser degree of trauma, of blunt force, would produce a concussion in a younger person and it takes longer for them to recover."

Philadelphia Inquirer, Pets Help People and Communities — The health benefits for individuals who own pets have been well documented: Petting an animal reduces a person’s blood pressure, Dog owners get more exercise than non-dog owners, After heart attack, death rates are lower in pet owning versus non-pet owning patients… Dr. Edward Creagan, an oncologist with the Mayo Clinic, has gone so far as to say “I consider getting a pet to be one of the easiest and most rewarding ways of living a longer, healthier life.”

News Tribune (MCNN post), Dog bite study shows familiarity with dog may breed false sense of security — Prior studies have shown that most dog bite injuries result from family dogs. A new study conducted by Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Children's Hospital shed some further light on the nature of these injuries. The recently published study, in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, demonstrated that more than 50 percent of the dog-bite injuries treated at Phoenix Children's Hospital came from dogs belonging to an immediate family member.

USA Today, Randy Moss hands diploma to longtime young friend — Former Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss has kept his promise to a Minnesota teenager. Moss went to Pelican Rapids to hand Kassi Spier her high school diploma Friday night. Spier met Moss at Vikings training camp in his rookie year in 1998, when she was just a toddler and yelled out his name. He kept in contact with her in 2000 as she went through treatment for leukemia at the Mayo Clinic. Moss would have lunch with Kassi just about every day during training camp in 2003, with her tiny hand tucked inside his. He stood by her when she lost her father in a car accident in 2004, and again in 2013 when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

MSP/St. Paul Business Journal, Stalled help at Capitol leaves Rochester $128 million short on huge Mayo project — The city of Rochester, which was counting on help from the Minnesota Legislature to pay for its portion of the multibillion-dollar Destination Medical Center plan, now may have to raise property taxes after the measure died in last-minute session wrangling. Finance & Commerce reports on the struggles by Rochester legislators to win approval for the city to tap into sales taxes to help raise $128 million for the project, part of a giant expansion by Mayo Clinic. The measure enjoyed support from both parties, but the bill was part of the larger package of tax relief that died in the session's final moments.

Wall Street Journal, Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Should NCAA Require EKG Testing? New research showing that sudden cardiac death strikes one in 5,200 males in Division I basketball is likely to intensify one of the hottest debates in college sports: Should NCAA athletes undergo electrical cardiac screening? The research, from a study published this month in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, supports the position that the NCAA’s top doctor, Brian Hainline, took in March, when he announced plans to recommend that colleges require EKG testing for college basketball players. The wrinkle for Hainline is that a month later—in a concession to physicians opposed to EKG screening of athletes—he reversed course, saying he wouldn’t make such a recommendation. *Note: Mayo is not specifically mentioned but Dr. Joseph Maleszewski is the cardiovascular pathologist mentioned, and Dr. Mike Ackerman is one of the cardiologist authors.

Star Tribune, Jude facing safety questions regarding tiny new pacemaker —St. Jude Medical’s tiniest pacemaker is supposed to eliminate complications sometimes seen in older versions of the device. The Little Canada-based medical technology company called it one of the most important advances in heart-pacing technology after acquiring the technology in 2013. Since then, St. Jude has twice halted implants of its Nanostim pacemaker in Europe, and the company is now examining a report that a patient had one of the devices break free and get stuck in the artery that leads to the lungs. … “The trial is ongoing, so we will be getting more information. But everything I have seen would suggest that the leadless pacemaker meets that high bar as being as safe as a traditional pacemaker,” said Dr. Paul Friedman, the Mayo Clinic principal investigator in St. Jude’s ongoing national safety study. “In my heart of hearts, I wouldn’t offer this to patients if I didn’t think it was an important advance.”

CBS Sports, Formerly paralyzed D-III player walks across graduation stage — Via TV station KCCI of Des Moines comes the incredible story of former Luther College player Chris Norton, who was paralyzed in 2010 while playing for the D-III Norse. But despite being given only a 3 percent chance of regaining movement in his legs, Norton was eventually able to stand and walk again -- and on Sunday, walked with assistance across the Luther graduation stage to receive his degree in business management. Additional coverage: NBC News

TriCity Herald (MCNN post), Dog bite study shows familiarity with dog may breed false sense of security — Prior studies have shown that most dog bite injuries result from family dogs. A new study conducted by Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Children's Hospital shed some further light on the nature of these injuries. The recently published study, in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, demonstrated that more than 50 percent of the dog-bite injuries treated at Phoenix Children's Hospital came from dogs belonging to an immediate family member. Additional coverage: Ledger Enquirer,

Washington Post, More people with Alzheimer’s are becoming activists, which brings its own challenges — When Michael Ellenbogen calls for a more aggressive fight against Alzheimer’s disease, he speaks with passion that comes from experience. As someone who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, Ellenbogen can convey firsthand the pain and frustration at what he sees as insufficient government support for research to find a cure or better treatments…“As for the emotion that’s expressed — and certainly Sandy Halperin was an example of that — this reflects an urgency about the disease,” said Petersen, who is director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. But he also said there are limits, even given understandable frustration.

Star Tribune, J.: Huge crowd turns out to support Sgt. Garcia at fundraiser — Ailing MPD Sgt. Jesse Garcia III was more fatigued than anticipated at his fundraiser Monday. Staying at a hotel near Jimmy’s Event Center in Vadnais Heights, Garcia dropped in on the benie as his energy level allowed while an estimated 600 to 1,000 circulated…Had an opportunity to go with Jesse on his first appointment [when] we found out he had stomach cancer. It’s been just an incredible journey. Lots of appointments that last weeks at the Mayo Clinic,” said Gabriel, who has known JGar3 a long time.

Washington Post (blog), Jayson Werth to visit ‘his guy’ to have wrist evaluated — Throughout Jayson Werth’s career, his left wrist has been a frustrating magnet for trouble, a small joint battered by pitches as if it attracted them. He was hit their first in 2005 and it tore a small ligament in his wrist. After months of pain, Dr. Richard Berger at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed the trouble and performed surgery to fix it. Berger treated Werth when he broke his wrist in 2012. So two weeks after that wrist was hit with a pitch in San Diego, Werth will go visit Berger — “his guy,” as Nationals Manager Matt Williams called him — to be further evaluated on the Nationals’ off-day.

KEYC, Mayo Clinic Health System Holds Reception To Highlight Company Improvements — Practitioners and community members gathered at Mayo Clinic Health System's Quality Improvement Reception in Mankato. The reception highlighted improvements in patient outcomes, efficiencies and cost savings at Mayo Clinic Health System. Health projects covered topics ranging from anesthesia recovery time management to looking at ways to decrease patient waiting time. Mayo Clinic Health System Chief Quality Officer Stephen Campbell said, "It's important that we provide high value care and high value care doesn't happen by itself. It really requires a lot of effort on all of our part to provide the best care to every patient everyday."

MedPage Today, Technology: New Assays Capture Clusters of Tumor Cells — A routine blood sample -- filtered through a device the size of a credit card -- could help detect aggressive cancers earlier, according to findings published in Nature Methods last week. Around 90% of cancer deaths are caused not by the primary tumor but by metastases, according to Roderic Pettigrew, MD, PhD, director of the National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A new device aimed at detecting the early signs of metastasizing tumors might help reduce that toll, Pettigrew said, presenting the study at the Mayo Clinic last week at a fellowship sponsored by the Clinic and the National Press Foundation.

WAAY- TV, What a fly does when it lands on your food — Have you ever been annoyed when you're at your favorite restaurant eating and a fly lands on your food? According to a survey from Orkin, nearly two-thirds of people would still dig in if a fly landed on their meal. Well if you are one of the those people, you may want to pay attention. Flies do a lot of activities when they land on your food. First off, flies eat some of the grossest things you can think of: Poop, garbage, rotting animal carcasses.. According to the Mayo Clinic,  flies can transfer serious, contagious diseases like cholera, typhoid and dysentery.

WEAU, Camp Wabi changing lives for kids coping with weight struggles — Summer camp can create memories that will last a lifetime. At Camp Wabi, it can do even more. The joint effort between YMCA Camp Manitou and Mayo Clinic Health System is changing lives for children struggling with their weight. Campers learn to be active, eat well and have fun at the same time. Camp Wabi offers fun activities and programs like splattering your friends with mud on the mud hike, getting launched off the blob, taking a spin at log rolling, or soaking your counselor in the lake.

MedCity News, A stress assessment that generates a “stress number” gets Mayo Clinic support — The impact of stress has consequences not only for work performance, but also for healthcare costs. That’s part of the argument health IT business The Oxygen Plan uses for its 30-question survey, which is intended to quantify stress levels for individuals and employees so employers can get a better read of their workforce and zero in on areas that need attention. Oxygen Plan recently joined the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator as its latest tenant, according to a company statement.

Star Tribune, Micheletti recovering from transplant after brother donates kidney — Pat Micheletti, the former Gophers great and current local hockey analyst, is resting comfortably at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester after undergoing a kidney transplant this morning. The kidney was donated by Micheletti’s 62-year-old brother, Jerry. “It’s incredible,” said Alex Micheletti, Pat’s grateful 24-year-old son. “That’s unconditional love right there. He saved my dad’s life.”

Post Bulletin, Seniors get a year of exploration — Jake Anderson is a modest, understated fellow, but even he had a hard time suppressing his excitement at what he was seeing under the microscope. For the past year, Anderson has been working in a research lab on the ninth floor of Mayo Clinic's Guggenheim Building. A University of Minnesota-Rochester senior until his graduation last week, Anderson has been busily testing a group of chemical compounds for their ability to slow and prevent the formation of kidney stones, a painful condition that affects one in 10 people.

Huntington Beach Independent, Mayo Clinic: Neck size one risk for sleep apnea; with shapewear, moderation is key — DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Recently, I was evaluated for sleep apnea. As part of the exam, my neck circumference was measured. Why is this important? ANSWER: Having a neck circumference greater than 16 inches if you're a woman, or greater than 17 inches if you're a man, is one of numerous risk factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA occurs when muscles at the back of the throat relax and temporarily restrict or block airflow during sleep. This may lead to disrupted sleep and daytime tiredness.

Bustle, How Much Caffeine Can I Have Per Day? 5 Shots Of Espresso Is A-OK, Says The EFSA — I’m a huge fan of caffeine. Like, huge. So much so that I’ve frequently asked myself, how much coffee is too much? Well, apparently, it’s okay to drink up to five shots of espresso a day, according to the European Food Safety Authority. Not only did EFSA research recently conclude that consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day poses no health risks for a healthy and non-pregnant individual, but so do previous studies released from the Mayo Clinic.

NIH News, Five named to NIAMS Advisory Council — The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, has appointed five new members to its advisory council. The council comprises scientific and lay members who have expertise in the mission areas of the institute. Council members provide advice to the institute on broad policy issues, and make recommendations on research proposals…Sundeep Khosla, M.D., is the Dr. Francis Chucker and Nathan Landow Research Professor, a Mayo Foundation Distinguished Investigator, and the dean for clinical and translational science at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.

CNN Money, Expert panel publishes guidance for central aortic pressure waveform analysis in patient care — AtCor Medical Holdings Limited (ASX:ACG), the developer and marketer of the SphygmoCor^®system which measures central aortic blood pressures and arterial stiffness non-invasively, today announced guidance from a panel US medical experts for physicians on the use of central aortic blood pressure waveform analysis in patient care. The article, "Clinical Use of Pulse Wave Analysis: Proceedings From a Symposium Sponsored by North American Artery" was published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension…The panel included physicians from The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, New York University School of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Tulane University School of Medicine, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NY, Baystate Medical Center and Tufts University, the James J. Peters VA Medical Center Bronx NY, The Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale AZ and St. Clair Specialty Physicians, Detroit Michigan.

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Corriere Della Sera,10 cibi più salutari che probabilmente avete mangiato nel modo sbagliato, Anche se consumate già molta frutta e verdura e conoscete quali sono i cibi maggiormente ricchi di sostanze nutritive e benefiche per la vostra salute siete solo a metà del percorso. L’altra metà consiste nel capire come sfruttare al meglio questa vostra conoscenza. In un articolo apparso online su CNN-Health si elencano i principali errori che ci impediscono di estrarre il maggior numero di vitamine e minerali dagli alimenti che mangiamo…Secondo Katherine Zeratsky, dietista presso la Mayo Clinic, la maggior parte degli esperti raccomanda di mangiare i semi di lino dopo averli schiacciati in un macinino da caffè o in un pestello in modo da non perdere le proprietà benefiche che stanno all’interno.

Reporte Hispano, La infertilidad y las latinas: lo que necesitas saber by Dr. Helen Troncoso…Los hábitos alimenticios y de estilo de vida pueden afectar tu fertilidad Tener sobrepeso o tener menos peso que el adecuado pueden afectar tu producción de hormonas e inhibir la producción de óvulos, según Mayo Clinic. Una dieta saludable y no restrictiva es lo mejor, junto con seguir una rutina de ejercicios moderada durante por lo menos 30 minutos al día, 4 días a la semana.

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