May 27, 2016

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

Editor, Karl Oestreich;  Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik

 

Wall Street Journal
Shoulder Surgery Is the New Testing Ground for Painkiller Alternatives
by Laura Landro

Some of the techniques to control pain have been around in some form for years. But their use in combination, known as multimodal management, is gaining popularity amid mounting concern about an epidemic of opioid addiction. A July 2015 study in Mayo Clinic ProceedingsWSJ Banner found one in four people who were prescribed a narcotic painkiller for the first time progressed to long-term prescriptions, putting them at risk for dependence and dangerous side effects.

Reach: The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, has an average circulation of 2.3 million daily which includes print and digital versions.

Context: Opioid painkiller addiction and accidental overdoses have become far too common across the United States. To try to identify who is most at risk, Mayo Clinic researchers studied how many patients prescribed an opioid painkiller for the first time progressed to long-term prescriptions. The answer: 1 in 4. People with histories of tobacco use and substance abuse were likeliest to use opioid painkillers long-term. More information about the Mayo Clinic Proceedings study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Sharon Theimer

 

NBC News
At-Home Test Could Help in Colon Cancer Battle

Millions of Americans who have avoided colonoscopies in the past can now get a home test to screen for colon cancer, the second leading cause of nbcnews.comcancer-related deaths in the U.S.

Reach: NBC News provides information about breaking news in business, health, entertainment, politics etc… and receives more than 21,547,025 unique visitors each month.

Context: An endoscopist’s knowledge of a positive Cologuard test improves colonoscopy performance, according to a poster presentation at last week’s Digestive Disease Week conference. Cologuard is an at-home, stool-DNA colorectal cancer screening test that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This test, available by prescription only, is reimbursed by Medicare and covered by an increasing number of commercial health care plans. Researchers from Mayo Clinic compared results of colonoscopies following a positive result from Cologuard (unblinded) with colonoscopies performed by those who were not aware of the Cologuard result (blinded).  Unblinded endoscopists found polyps or hemorrhagic lesions 83 percent of the time and precancerous polyps in 70 percent of patients, compared to 68 and 53 percent of blinded endoscopists, respectively. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Joe Dangor

 

CBS News
What is altitude sickness and why is it so dangerous?
by Mary Brophy Marcus

Altitude sickness is actually a constellation of different conditions that occur when the body doesn't have enough time to adapt to the lower air pressure and lower oxygen level at high altitudes, explains Dr. Clayton Cowl, chair of the division of preventive, occupational and aerospaceCBS News Logo medicine at the Mayo Clinic. "The body doesn't like things to be out of kilter," Cowl, who's also a pulmonologist, told CBS News.

Reach: CBSNEWS.com is part of CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation. The CBS web properties have more than 250 million people visit its properties each month.

Context:  Clayton Cowl, M.D. heads Mayo Clinic's preventive, occupational and aerospace medicine. The division consists of 22 physicians who have specialty training in internal medicine or family practice and a team of trained occupational health nurses. Several of our physicians are board-certified in preventive, occupational and/or aerospace medicine. Mayo Clinic's integrated group practice model makes consultation with any other medical specialists readily available.

Contact: Ginger Plumbo

 

News4Jax
This Week In Jacksonville: Mayo Clinic

Interview with Dr. Gianrico Farrugia.

News Jax 4 LogoReach: WJXT is an independent television station serving Florida’s First Coast that is licensed to Jacksonville. This Week in Jacksonville is a weekly public affairs program on WJXT.

Context: Gianrico Farrugia, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida.

Contact: Kevin Punsky

 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The big problems with obesity
by Jill Daly

There’s been a steep increase in the prevalence of obesity in the United States since 2011, according to Ursula Bauer, director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, speaking before journalists in a National Press Foundation program earlier thisPittsburgh Post-Gazette Logo year. Treating people who are obese for pneumonia and the flu has been challenging, according to vaccine researcher Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who also spoke at the journalists program this year. He said people who are obese often develop low-grade chronic inflammation, so their immune system cannot respond well to antibiotics and vaccines. Normal immune responses are interfered with, on a cellular level.

Reach: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a daily circulation of more than 140,00 readers. It's website has more than 1 million unique visitors each month.

Context: Gregory Poland, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic infectious disease expert. Dr. Poland and his team within the Vaccine Research Group aim to improve the health of individuals across the world by pursuing challenges posed by infectious diseases and bioterrorism through clinical, laboratory and epidemiologic vaccine research.

Contact: Sharon Theimer

Modern Healthcare, Mayo Clinic Care Network partners with Indiana health system by Maria Castelucci — Beacon Health System in South Bend, Ind., has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Beacon is the first Indiana-based health system to join the network. Under terms of the agreement, the two-hospital health system will remain independent but can use Mayo services. Beacon staff will have access to Mayo's specialty physicians, expert database on medical conditions, library and consulting services, according to a news release. Additional coverage: Goshen News, WSBT-TV Indiana, South Bend Tribune, The Elkhart Truth, WNDU-TV Indiana

Advisory Board, Around the nation: Beacon Health System joins the Mayo Clinic Care Network — Beacon Health System has become the first health system in Indiana to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Beacon Health will now have access to Mayo's specialty physicians, expert database, research library, and consulting services. Mark Larson, medical director for the Midwest region of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, says, "We look forward to working toward our shared goal of improving the delivery of health care for patients."

Post-Bulletin, Heard on the Street: Two more groups join Mayo network — The Mayo Clinic Care Network added two more partners in May, bringing its total to more than 35 in U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico and Singapore. Beacon Health System in South Bend, Ind., and Unity Health in Searcy, Ark., have joined the network of health-care providers who share Mayo expertise while remaining independent. They are each the first organizations in their states to join. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review

Daytona Beach News-Journal, NorthBay joins Mayo Clinic Care Network by Ian Thompson — NorthBay Healthcare announced Wednesday that it became the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a collaboration that will give its health care providers access to the clinic’s network of experts and information. One of the best parts: This leap forward in NorthBay’s ability to care for its patients won’t cost those patients a dime more. Additional coverage: Fairfield Daily Republic, The Reporter

Huffington Post, Our Least Experienced Doctors Are Dangerously Low On Sleep by Krithika Varagur — Some hospitals have also experimented with holistic wellness services for their staff. The Cleveland Clinic has a program called Code Lavender to address burnout: doctors and nurses can call on-demand “holistic nurses” who provide counseling, massages and snacks during emotionally exhausting times. And the top-ranked Mayo Clinic recently instituted a program to address physician burnout that includes mindfulness-based stress reduction, an on-campus healthy living center and opportunities for doctors to take a break and socialize together over a meal. Additional coverage: Doctors Lounge, Neurology Advisor

Huffington Post, Soul Intuition: Silencing Negative Emotions and Shutting Down Stress by Roz A. Gee — According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, “When you encounter a perceived threat - a large dog barks at you during your morning walk, for instance- your hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight or flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear.”

Washington Post, Weird aches, dry skin, horrible fatigue, puffy face: I had a thyroid problem by Suzanne Allard Levingston — Studies have shown that roughly 40 percent of hypothyroid patients are on the wrong dose of medication. “It’s not just a matter of seeing somebody, giving them a prescription and never seeing them again,” said Robert Smallridge, a specialist in thyroid cancer and the deputy director of the cancer center at the Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville, Fla.

NBC News, Why Stress Tests Could Be More Stressful Than They're Worth — The use of cardiac stress tests have skyrocketed, but a leading cardiologist says they're often unnecessary and can lead to more expensive and riskier procedures. Interview with Dr. Todd Miller and patient.

Time magazine, How Junk Food Wrecks Your Body by Alexandra Sifferlin — This is not the first study to suggest that junk food does more to your insides than simply add fat around the middle; it can also disrupt hormones, change a person’s sense of taste and even raise the risk for mental health problems. A 2015 study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that a calorie from sugar is much more dangerous to the body than a calorie from other carbohydrates, like starch. Added sugars were linked to poor insulin levels and blood sugar, as well as harmful fat storage around the belly, which promotes problems like inflammation and high blood pressure.

New York Post, Scientists are closer than ever to creating the Fountain of Youth by Molly Shea — When people hear about efforts to expand health span, researchers say, they think it’s a vain pursuit — everybody dies. Isn’t it better to address tangible diseases like cancer? Not so, say the researchers. “What people need to realize is if we focus exclusively on diseases, [we’re] going to keep finding another one,” explains Dr. James Kirkland, a geroscientist at the Mayo Clinic. It’s like a Whac-a-Mole game: “Age-related chronic diseases cluster within individuals. If you get one, the next one is right around the corner.”

New York Post, Adele’s top-secret fat-melting diet by Molly Shea — Reports speculate that in recent months, the singer has dropped around 30 pounds from her 5-foot-9 frame, thanks to “The Sirtfood Diet,” a book released in the UK in January. Although the sirtfood premise is alluring (who wouldn’t want to eat foods that shed pounds and boost muscle?), Grace Fjeldberg, a registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic, says it’s too early to tell whether the science is accurate. “The research is promising, and likely uncovers some of the mystery behind why plant-based diets are so beneficial,” Fjeldberg says, but more research is needed. Not everyone will see Adele-like results.

MD Magazine, David Knopman from Mayo Clinic: Finding Ways to Prevent Dementia Later in Life — As the population ages one of the biggest concerns for people is developing various forms of dementia. What can be do to help these patients is the topic of much debate. David S. Knopman, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, recently presented on the topic of “Does mentally stimulating activity protect against dementia,” and discussed the pro side during the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Vancouver. Knopman said he had some evidence that it does, but remained skeptic. He said the notion that it does is a popular topic, but, “I think the public needs to be properly informed on the strength of the evidence and what’s behind it,” Knopman said.

The Verge, New migraine drugs promise relief — but at a steep price by Alessandra Potenza — Migraines are more than just intense headaches. It’s like "sitting in front of the television and all of a sudden, the volume keeps going up and going up and going up, and you’re not even holding the remote," says David Dodick, director or the migraine program at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, president of the International Headache Society, and chairman of the American Migraine Foundation. Light seems brighter, sounds are louder, and smells are stronger. "The volume on everything is up," he says.

Live Science, Just How Short Can Your Workout Be? by Rachel Rettner — You've probably heard you need to exercise for 30 minutes a day to be healthy, but if you make your workouts more intense, you may be able to get away with spending much less time working up a sweat. You can get more bang for your buck with vigorous exercise," said Dr. Edward Laskowski, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Specifically, new research suggests that a type of workout known as interval training may allow people to get fit in much less time than is required with traditional endurance exercise.

Live Science, How to Start an Exercise Routine and Stick to It by Rachel Rettner —As long as you're active for at least 10 minutes at a time, your activity will count toward your overall exercise for the day, said Dr. Edward Laskowski, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. For example, you could walk for 10 minutes before work, another 10 minutes during your lunch hour and another 10 minutes after dinner, Laskowski said. "It doesn't have to be one single session" of exercise, Laskowski said. "The more we do move [during the day], the better the health benefits," he said.

Live Science, Gluten-Free Diets Are Not Necessarily Healthier, Doctors Warn by Rachel Rettner — Gluten-free foods are not necessarily healthier. In fact, they can be higher in calories, and may not be enriched with vitamins and minerals that are important for children, said study co-author Dr. Eyad Almallouhi, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Many people think that a gluten-free diet is healthier than the usual diet, which is not always true," said Almallouhi, who presented the findings here Sunday (May 22) at Digestive Disease Week, a scientific meeting focused on digestive diseases.

Twin Cities Business, Health Care Providers Embrace Telemedicine by Don Jacobson — A national meeting of telemedicine industry leaders held in Minneapolis last week provided continuing evidence that providers are embracing telehealth as an inevitable wave of the future, despite continuing resistance from insurers and the inability of laws and regulations to keep pace with the changes. At least that’s the take of the Mayo Clinic’s top telehealth advocates, including CEO Dr. John Noseworthy, who delivered one of the keynote addresses at ATA 2016, the annual conference and trade show of the American Telemedicine Association.

Twin Cities Business, Biostage Launches Stock Offering To Fund Clinical Trials by Don Jacobson — It’s full speed ahead for a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and regenerative medicine startup Biostage Inc., which after announcing “groundbreaking” results in bioengineering replacement organs this month, launched a $5 million stock offering to fund human clinical trials. As reported by TCB in March, investors in Massachusetts-based Biostage (Nasdaq: BSTG) – then known as Harvard Apparatus Regeneration Technology, or HART – were anxiously awaiting word on key animal test results that could propel its Cellframe implant technology forward toward gaining Investigational New Drug (IND) status from the FDA, thus allowing human clinical trials.

Twin Cities Business, Mayo Launches Israeli Startup Initiative To Spur Med-Tech Development by Sam Schaust — Israel, a country with a strong med-tech industry and high number of doctors per capita. Representatives of the Rochester-based healthcare organization flew to the Middle Eastern country to kickstart a unique effort it calls the Mayo Clinic Israeli Startup Initiative. Mayo’s international relations consultant Duska Anastasijevic said the outreach to Israel comes with a two-part focus. “Israel is recognized for being such a hub for biotech and life sciences. It’s a powerhouse in its own right, truly the Silicon Valley in that part of the world,” Anastasijevic said. Additional coverage: Haaretz, Bloomberg

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic Ventures looks to Israel for collaborations by Jeff Kiger — Looking to help boost a variety of medical start-up businesses, Mayo Clinic Ventures is targeting collaborations and investments in Israel with a new program. The goal of the Mayo Clinic Israeli Startup Initiative is to work with companies either through sponsored research grants or co-development. "Co-development can include licensing of Mayo Clinic know-how or an investment," explained Timmeko Love of Mayo Clinic Ventures. "It's about matching the right opportunities with Mayo Clinic know-how for collaboration. It's all about finding the right strategic fit."

KARE11-TV, Exclusive: 1-on-1 with injured hockey player, Matt Olson by Jay Olstad — For the first time, Olson spoke about his injury he suffered while playing hockey in February. Doctors call it the most severe spinal cord injury there is… Fast- forward to today where he is recovering at the Mayo Clinic. He exercises every day. KARE 11 captured him biking with the help of a machine that sent signals to his muscles to mimic riding a bike. His physical therapist says it essentially gets him closer to becoming independent. "Part of this is a trial and error,” said Dr. Ronald Reeves His doctor expects he'll regain some strength back in his arms but that's about it.

WCCO-TV, Conjoined Sisters Celebrate 10 Years Apart by Liz Collin — This month, the Carlsen twins are celebrating 10 years of living their own lives. Abigail and Isabelle were successfully separated by a team of Mayo Clinic surgeons when they were six months old. Medical teams at Mayo Clinic trained for months for the marathon separation surgery. On May 12, 2006, the operation lasted 12 hours and required 17 surgeons. Two weeks later, they went home to North Dakota, as two.

Star Tribune, Growing health care companies are most valuable on the Star Tribune 100 by Joe Carlson — Though it’s not reflected in lists of public companies, Minnesota is also home to large and growing nonprofit health systems. The internationally known Mayo Clinic health system had $10.3 billion in revenue last year. HealthPartners, a hybrid nonprofit health care provider and insurer, had $5.7 billion in revenue, according to financial statements.

HealthDay, Hormone May Be Linked to Teenage Obesity by Robert Preidt — Obese teens may have lower levels of a weight-regulating hormone than normal-weight teens, a new study says. "Our study is the first to look at levels of spexin in the pediatric population," said Dr. Seema Kumar, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Previous studies in adults concluded that spexin is likely involved in regulating the body's energy balance and fat mass. Additional coverage: Medical Daily

Sherman Denison Herald Democrat, ‘More than just sports’: Special Olympics addresses individuals’ physical, emotional needs by Miranda Wilcox — Getting individuals with special needs involved in a Special Olympics team is essential to their well-being, and not just for their physical health, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Physician Dr. Cara Prideaux said. “There are so many benefits on many different levels of being involved in sports,” she said. “… The health benefits for anyone participating in a sport include cardiovascular, so heart, lung fitness and obviously the positive impact on weight control with the participation in sport activities. It helps improve mental health, self-esteem, confidence, that type of thing.”

Teen Vogue, Best Sleep Tips Arianna Huffington by Danielle Sinay — “Sleep deprivation is linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, obesity, infertility, and more," Arianna says. "Sleep deprivation weakens our immune system, making us more susceptible to garden-variety illnesses, like the common cold, and sets the stage for the development of more serious diseases. A lack of sleep also has a major impact on our ability to regulate our weight. In fact, a Mayo Clinic study found that sleep-deprived individuals ate an extra 559 calories a day than their well-rested counterparts."

KTTC-TV, Mayo Clinic Health System in Lake City losing doctors to resignation by Justin McKee — In a small town like Lake City, it can be difficult to find good healthcare. Mayo Clinic Health System has always done a good job providing quality care to the Lake City community. "Having a Mayo presence here in Lake City is important to all of us that live here and work around the area. We use the local Mayo facility for our primary care, but then when something serious happens, we're only 30 minutes away from Rochester," said Lake City resident Larry Nielson. However, there is some uncertainty in the coming months. Some patients may need to find a new doctor. That's because of three resignations that will be finalized in July. Dr. Dennis Spano, Dr. John Renelt, and nurse practitioner Kayla Dascher will be done with the hospital on or around July 10th.

Post-Bulletin, Injured Marine helps Mayo Clinic celebrate Nurses Week by Brett Boese —Josh Bleill was a strapping 215-pound Marine corporal on tour in Iraq when an IED exploded, blowing off his legs and killing two U.S. soldiers during a routine Fallujah patrol in 2006. The Indiana native was in a coma for five days and hospitalized for two years while his weight dipped to just 110. He visited Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus Wednesday, walking on prosthetic legs, to share his inspirational recovery story while simultaneously praising the work of nurses who made it possible. It's the second time Bleill has been selected as the keynote speaker during Mayo Clinic Nurses Week, which is celebrated just after National Nurses Week.

Post-Bulletin, Graduates excited after 'long journey' by Lauren Kotajarvi — Graduating feels fantastic, student speaker Kay Pepin said at Saturday's commencement ceremony of the Mayo Medical School and Mayo Graduate School. She could have been speaking for all 134 graduates who took place in a hooding ceremony. "It's been a long journey of about five years," said Pepin, who got her degree from Mayo Graduate School. Pepin plans on staying in Rochester and working for Mayo Clinic's recently opened proton beam therapy program.

Post-Bulletin, Work to start soon on 23-story tower by Jeff Kiger — A long-anticipated downtown Rochester development, the first Destination Medical Center project, might finally be moving forward. City officials were notified recently by Hinshaw & Culbertson, a Minneapolis law firm, that a $102.5 million loan to finance the bulk of developer Gus Chafoulias' 23-story Broadway at Center tower is scheduled to close on Tuesday. A $2.3 million tax-increment financing loan is expected to close at the same time. The loans are being made by Minneapolis-based Dougherty Financial Group, which includes seven financial companies that manage more than $42 billion in assets. The firm's founder and board chair, Michael E. Dougherty, is very familiar with Rochester and Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center initiative.

Owatonna People’s Press, A Friendly Exchange: Local residents host Indians as part of Rotarian program by Ashley Stewart — Ten Rotarians from India gathered in the lobby of Mayo Clinic Health System – Owatonna Wednesday morning to begin their tour of the health care campus. “Welcome, Rotarians,” said Stephanie Olson, public affairs manager for the clinic, as the men and women circled around her while gazing around the facility, before they filed upstairs to a conference room. “We’re really in transition in how we deliver care,” she said, describing Mayo’s focus on providing care to patients through a team. “The patient is still at the center, but they’re surrounded by a whole team of individuals led by a M.D.”

Healthcare IT News, Mayo Clinic's quick tips for driving patient engagement by Tom Sullivan — Angie Puffer, operations manager in the Mayo Clinic’s Office of Access Management, spoke at the Healthcare IT News Pop Health Forum 2016 and shared some of the lessons Mayo has learned in attracting those to the patient portal. Puffer said that even though they’re garnered from work on that portal, they also apply to other patient engagement programs and tools.

Madame Noir, Ways To Be More Physically Active When You Think Your Schedule Won’t Allow It by Victoria Uwumarogie — Danielle Johnson, M.P.T., Wellness Physical Therapist at the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program and a mother of two says we need to make time. In fact, she said it’s easier than we think to do so. Johnson says if we start treating physical activity like any of the other activities we deem important in our calendar and in our lives, we will actually go forth with committing to making time for it. I can say from experience that that’s true.

Healio, Sexual dysfunction common among patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms — “The impact of having a chronic hematological malignancy on important quality of life issues, such as sexuality, have been poorly studied and appreciated,” Ruben A. Mesa, MD, FACP, professor of medicine and chair of the division of hematology and medical oncology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, as well as a HemOnc Today Editorial Board member, told HemOnc Today. “After fatigue, challenges with intimacy are the most prevalent symptom patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms [MPN] complain of.”

KAAL-TV, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Speaks to Mayo Medical School Graduates — Mayo Medical School and Mayo Graduate School handed out degrees to the 2016 graduating class on Saturday morning. This day was a long time coming for a number of the students, some of them having been in the program for eight years… Michael Brown, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, gave the keynote address. Brown also received an honorary doctor of Science degree.

WMDT-TV Maryland, Meet Dr. Bobbi Pritt from The Mayo Clinic — Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a Pathologist and Clinical Microbiologist, is the director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. There were 3 organisms in the world that caused Lyme disease, prior to her discovery of a 4th species in 2013. In February 2016, she published the findings of her research, in which she named this novel species of bacteria "Borellia Mayonii."

Mankato Free Press, Training helps prevent the unexpected for those expecting by Brian Arola — Mayo collaborated with Lasting Imprint — a nonprofit started in Mankato which advocates for families affected by children born with congenital heart defects — on the training. After a lecture portion, 10 sonographers from Mayo facilities in southwest Minnesota performed hands-on training with ultrasounds on four pregnant volunteers. Jill VanEps, radiology manager at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, said sonographers have long been trained to look for defects during 20-week ultrasounds.

WXOW-TV LaCrosse, Thinking About the Ink by Scott Hackworth — Why do people get tattoos? Polls show they are as popular as ever. 20 percent of Americans have at least one tattoo. That's up from 13 percent in 2007. But what happens when that tattoo that seemed so special at the time, is no longer so special? That's where Dr. Michael White comes in.   He is a Dermatologist with the Mayo Clinic Health System whose talents include laser tattoo removal. He says tattoos are not inherently dangerous, but he does have a word of warning. "Think long and hard about where you want it put and who's going to see it. And the circumstances where it will be seen. Because once it's there you're not changing it," he said.

Des Moines Register, Finney: Waukee woman chases future at Mayo Clinic by Daniel P. Finney — Lauren Kane, a 22-year-old from Waukee, started out trolling the waters for a career. She ended up landing a whopper: a prestigious clinical exercise physiology internship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Mayo “is very serious about you know the patient from the beginning of their process all the way through to the end,” Lauren said. “It’s such an amazing place. The energy there is terrific.”

Le Sueur News-Herald, We Honor Veterans hospice program honors by Dana Melius — Mayo Clinic Health System has become a national partner of the We Honor Veterans hospice program, providing a tribute to a dying veteran during traditional end-of-life health care. Hospice enrollment states a patient's condition is terminal, with six months or less to live. And with the aging demographics of this nation's veterans, those entering hospice care are increasing. "It may surpirse many people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are veterans," says Susan Klesath, manager of Hospice and Palliative Care for Mayo Clinic Health System.

KAAL-TV, Global Tobacco Dependence Treatment Summit by Meghan Reistad — According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills up to half its users. That's around 6 million people every year. WHO also claims of the more than one billion smokers worldwide, most want to quit. That's why Mayo Clinic is hosting the Global Tobacco Dependence Treatment Summit bringing in leaders from across the globe. "Six million deaths per year due to tobacco, still the number one cause of preventable death in the world," said Dr. Taylor Hays.

MedCity News, Top takeaways from ATA 2016 — Telemedicine can save the lives of critically ill babies born at hospitals in rural, small, and low-income, urban communities, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. Guidance provided by Mayo neonatologists to the neonatal teams at six participating hospitals prevented having to transfer some infants for critical care and helped stabilize others before transfer. Every transfer that was avoided saved the system $35,000, for a total of more than $1 million over the course of a three-year study.

WEAU-TV LaCrosse, Camp Wabi by Judy Clark — Joni Gilles, R.N., with Mayo Clinic Health System and Brian Moore with the Eau Claire YMCA discuss the benefits of Camp Wabi for young people struggling with their weight. Camp registration is now open. For more information, please call 715-839-4607.

Oncology Nurse Advisor, A Protein Could Predict the Response to Immunotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma by Megan Garlapow, Ph.D. — "Immune checkpoint therapy with PD-1 blockade has emerged as an effective treatment for many advanced cancers," said Roxana Dronca, MD, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and first author of the study. "However, only a fraction of patients achieve durable responses to immunotherapy and, to date, we have had no means of predicting which patients are most likely to benefit."

LaCrosse Tribune, Big Blue Dragon beckons more youth teams for festival by Mike Tighe — Mayo-Franciscan initiated the dragon boat races in connection with Riverfest in Riverside Park in 2013 as a fundraiser for Mayo-Franciscan’s Center for Breast Care and to help breast cancer survivors. Mayo-Franciscan expanded it to a two-day festival and moved it to the Black River last year. Registration is underway, with the deadline for youth teams being June 1 and, for adult teams, June 17 or until all 60 slots are filled. Teams come not only from throughout the Coulee Region, with some companies using dragon boating as a vehicle for team-building, but also from the competitive world of dragon boating throughout the country.

DeKalb Daily Chronicle, Dr. Siddiqui: Chemo closer to home by C.R. Walker — There’s an obvious reason why many make the trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and it’s to get some of the best care available. Fortunately, thanks to Dr. Sabet Siddiqui, MD Hematology/Oncology, specialized medical care can also be accessed in DeKalb making for a shorter trip for chemo. “We’ve got patients from other parts of Illinois, as well as Indiana and Ohio who were going all the way to Rochester to get chemo,” Dr. Siddiqui said. “We have at least 15 or 20 patients that are not from our area, but are driving one to four hours.”

AccuWeather, Your summer sunscreen guide: Experts reveal surprising facts about the product — Most experts recommended a sunscreen that contains between 35 and 50 SPF, regardless of skin tone. "It is true that darker skin types are more protected from UV radiation, which is one of the factors associated with skin cancer," Dr. Jerry Brewer, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic, said.

Florida Times-Union, Mayo Clinic wins environmental award — Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville recently received a sustainability award from Practice Greenhealth, a national organization dedicated to reducing the impact health care institutions have on the environment. Mayo Clinic earned the Partner for Change Award, which recognizes Mayo Clinic’s ongoing commitment to improving the environment. Mayo Clinic’s Green/sustainability efforts are nurtured by the Mayo Clinic Green Advisory Council, which develops and encourages efforts to conserve energy, construct and operate facilities for long-term efficiency and engage with industry and educational leaders in sustainability.

Mankato Free Press, Our View: Skin cancer rates shed light on risks — Despite the widely distributed information and warnings, many aren’t heeding the medical community’s advice. Mayo Clinic studies have shown skyrocketing rates of skin cancer among young and middle-age adults. The rates among women were most stark with rates reported to be as much as 24 times what they were in 1970.

OncLive, Gene Expression Signature Predicts Hormonal Resistance in Prostate Cancer by Tony Berberabe — R. Jeffrey Karnes, MD, a consultant at the Department of Urology at the Mayo Clinic, as well as a urologic oncologist, said the 2-arm study looked at the gene expression profiles of 1212 prostate cancer (PCa) patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) collected from 3 studies of high risk PCa in collaborative research between Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine.“We wanted to assess whether analysis in the primary tumor after surgery of genes involved in neuroendocrine differentiation might predict who responds to adjuvant hormone therapy,” said lead author Karnes, who presented the findings from his poster during the 2016 AUA Annual Meeting.

KAAL-TV, ABC 6 Investigates: Who Owns Rochester? by Brianna Long — It's no secret that Rochester is growing. It's the third largest city in the state. Mayo Clinic is the driving force behind it all. However, there is more to Rochester than just its renowned medical community. A lot of that lies in the buildings downtown…. I looked into nearly 400 properties in and around downtown Rochester. According to state records, 254 of those properties are owned by people and businesses, not including Mayo Clinic, that are based right in Rochester. Sixty of them are owned by Mayo Clinic or its foundation. Forty-six are listed as having owners in Minnesota but outside of Rochester.

Owatonna People’s Press, Cat bites gone wrong: Family pet sends man to hospital with potentially life-threatening blood poisoning by Anna Segner — After several deep cat bites to his hands, Per Kvalsten spent five nights in the hospital to treat blood poisoning… In Per’s case, there were several pockets of infection discovered, which are now being treated by antibiotics. A study by Dr. Nikola Babovic, Dr. Cenk Cayci, and Dr. Brian Carlsen of Mayo Clinic in Rochester called “Cat Bite Infections of the Hand: Assessment of Morbidity and Predictors of Severe Infection” indicated that 30 percent of patients with cat bites to the hand were hospitalized for an average stay of 3.2 days. In the three-year window that the study was conducted (Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2011), 193 patients were treated for cat bites to the hand at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

WEAU-TV Eau Claire, Peanut Problems by Abigail Hantke — Doctors say peanut allergies have been slowly increasing over time. Today nearly 3 million people in the U.S. are living with a peanut allergy. “I think one of the biggest misunderstandings is that it is life-threatening and you can die from a food allergy,” Dr. Adela Taylor said, an Allergist with Mayo Clinic Health System. “Number two: that it can be a very small amount. Some people can tolerate a very small amount and some people can’t; and most people with a food allergy don't know what their threshold level is.

North by Northwestern, Blowing smoke: the college life of medical marijuana users by Jason Mast —When Tommy* was 15, he started experiencing soreness in every joint. By his senior year of high school, Tommy, a track, soccer and hockey player, was forced to abandon all athletic activity. Around then, the Mayo Clinic gave the ailment a name: polyarthritis, a condition similar to rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic first prescribed a strong anti-inflammatory that Tommy said sparked a severe allergic reaction – hives from head to toe. To fight the allergy, they put him on Prednisone, a steroid that almost immediately caused bladder issues and made him bruise easily…

Science Daily, Crowdsourcing contest using data from people, dogs advances epileptic seizure forecasting — For patients, predictability of seizures could be life changing. "If an algorithm could detect subtle changes in the electrical activity of a person's brain before a seizure occurs, people with epilepsy could take medications only when needed and possibly reclaim the daily activities many of us take for granted," says Ben Brinkmann, Ph.D., a data scientist at Mayo Clinic and lead author of the study by Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania and University of Minnesota.

Fierce Biotech, Baxalta, Mayo and Velocity license Astellas lupus platform for upstart by Ben Adams —A new startup biotech called Thunderbolt has been launched as the brainchild of Baxalta, the Mayo Clinic and Velocity Pharmaceutical Development--and begins life with newly licensed BAFF/APRIL dual antagonists from Astellas. Andrew Badley, director of drug discovery and the office of translation to practice, center for clinical and translational science at Mayo Clinic, added: “We are pleased to have created this first company as a result of the novel model in drug development which leverages the basic science and clinical expertise of Mayo Clinic researchers with the drug development and manufacturing expertise of our partners, to accelerate patient therapies for B cell disorders.” Additional coverage: Yahoo! Finance

AJMC.com, Surgery in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Can Improve Survival, Says Mayo Study — Mark Truty, MD, a surgical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic who has actively participated in the current trials, believes their study findings—presented at Pancreas Club and Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract annual meetings in San Diego—can revolutionize the field. “A lot of this has to do with better chemotherapy drugs and use of what we call multimodal therapy: chemotherapy, radiation and then an aggressive operation. Now we can potentially offer these therapies to patients who previously were told they had no options,” Truty said in a statement.

Chippewa Herald, Program puts emphasis on neighborhoods by Rod Stetzer…With help of Mayo Clinic Health System, La Crosse County set up a fund for residents to fix their cars. The agency is working with landlords to fill housing needs. The early result of the program? “We’ve been kind of blown away by how we’ve been able to stabilize families,” Witt said.

KIMT-TV, Free sports physicals for Austin students by Raquel Hellman — Next week, Austin Public Schools will offer free sports physicals for 7th-12th graders who want to be involved in athletics. Any student who wants to play a sport has to get a physical. So the district teams up with Mayo Clinic Health System – Austin to offer them for free. This year, they’ll be done while the school year is still in session, instead of during the busy summer months.

Post-Bulletin, Rochester hiker falls from cliff in Arizona — A hiker from Rochester had to be rescued in northwestern Arizona during the weekend. Owners of a bed & breakfast in Cane Beds area reported the woman missing. Amber Kohnhorst, 25, of Rochester, checked into the B&B on Friday. Kohnhorst, is a nurse at Mayo Clinic, according to her LinkedIn account. Kohnhorst was knocked unconscious and awoke sometime during the night. She crawled approximately 50 feet back up until the terrain got too tough. Kohnhorst started blowing her whistle and screaming for help every half hour. She eventually fell back to sleep. Saturday evening Amber was awakened by the Department of Public Safety helicopter flying over her. A rescuer on board the helicopter heard her when she screamed for help. A rope rescue team was assembled and was airlifted to the top of the cliff where they set up a rope system and rappelled a rescuer down to Kohnhorst. She was flown to an awaiting ambulance and taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah. Additional coverage: WCCO-TV, KMSP-TV

Becker’s Hospital Review, Mayo Clinic nurse survives 100-foot fall from cliff by Brian Zimmerman — A nurse from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., survived a 100-foot fall from a cliff while hiking in Cane Beds, Ariz. She was found by rescuers more than 24 hours after the fall, according to CBS Minnesota. "I think it was an initial 12-foot drop and then I just kept rolling so when I woke up it was dark and I was alone for about 28 hours by myself," Amber Kohnhorst, RN, told CBS Minnesota.In agonizing pain, Ms. Kohnhorst attempted to climb her way out of the canyon after the fall. According to the Post-Bulletin, the Mayo Clinic nurse made it 50 feet back up the canyon until the terrain became too rough. During this period, the gravity of the situation set in.

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