July 1, 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

 

NBC News
Google Partners With Harvard, Mayo Clinic for Symptom Search Feature

Google is rolling out a new health feature called symptom search, which is designed to pinpoint a potential problem when you search symptoms — from your mobile device.nbcnews.com

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.

Additional coverage: KAAL-TV

Previous coverage in June 24, 2016 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

Context: When people seek information on health-related symptoms, many turn to the internet, and Google in particular, as the first stop. Now, when consumers access Google’s mobile search for information about certain symptoms, they will get facts on relevant related medical conditions up front on their smartphone or other mobile device. For example, a symptom search — even one using common language free of medical terminology like “my tummy hurts” or “nose blocked” — will show a list of related conditions. For individual symptoms like “headache,” searchers will see overview information as well as have the ability to view self-treatment options and suggestions of when to seek help from a healthcare professional.  To ensure quality and accuracy, teams of doctors, including expert clinicians at Mayo Clinic, have written or reviewed individual symptom information and evaluated related conditions. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Kelly Reller

 

WCCO-TV
Doctors At Mayo Clinic Using Viruses To Fight Cancer

Doctors at Mayo Clinic are using deadly viruses to fight a deadly disease. Just last month, the Food and Drug Administration gave breakthrough status to a cancer therapy that uses the polio virus to combat brain WCCO-TV 4tumors. “We do have one of the oldest programs, not just in this country, but in the world,” Dr. Eva Galanis said. Galanis leads the Mayo’s virus therapy program, which started in 1994. It uses a number of viruses to attack cancer cells.

Reach: WCCO 4 News is the most-watched newscast in the Twin Cities, in 5 out of 7 newscasts.

Additional coverage: MSN.com

Context: Evanthia "Eva" Galanis, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic is an orthopedic oncologist with Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Dr. Galanis has a long-standing interest in developing novel therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment. The focus of her laboratory is to develop and optimize novel virotherapy approaches with special emphasis on paramyxoviruses. A number of different strategies are tested, including use of therapeutic transgenes; trackable markers; combinations with small molecules, cytotoxic agents and radiation therapy; re-targeting of viral strains against tumor-specific antigens; development of novel viral delivery approaches; and exploration of immunomodulatory methods to modify humoral and innate immunity as a means of optimizing virotherapy efficacy.

Contact: Joe Dangor

 

Florida Times-Union
'Giving my kidney a send-off:' Jacksonville woman starts a kidney donation chain stretching to 9 people
by Matt Soergel

Jennifer Tamol was plenty nervous the evening before she went to the hospital to donate one of her kidneys to a complete stranger, someone in Minnesota who was awaiting his or her chance for a new, better life…She decided four years ago to donate a kidney, and reached out to Mayo Clinic. She took a week’s worth of vacation then to go through a battery of tests, and was tested periodically after that. There were a couple of Florida Times-Union newspaper logofalse alarms where she thought there was a suitable recipient, though something went awry each time.

Reach: The Florida Times-Union reaches more than 120,000 daily and 173,000 readers Sunday.

Context: Martin Mai, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic nephrologist and also chair of the division of transplant medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida.  Mayo Clinic's kidney transplant doctors and surgeons use proven innovations to successfully treat people with kidney failure and complications of diabetes and other diseases. Their experience in using minimally invasive surgery, new medicines to prevent organ rejection and specialized procedures makes Mayo Clinic a leader in transplant outcomes. Mayo Clinic surgeons perform more than 600 kidney transplants a year, including for people with very challenging kidney conditions who need special solutions and surgeries. And Mayo Clinic kidney transplant teams in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota are leaders in living-donor kidney transplants. People who receive a kidney from a living donor usually have fewer complications than those who receive a kidney from a deceased donor.

Contact: Kevin Punsky

 

TIME
Electronic health records and digital clerical work are strongly linked to burnout
by Mandy Oaklander

Of all professionals in the U.S., doctors experience some of the highest rates of burnout: the feeling of being so emotionally exhausted from work that you start to feel indifferent about those you’re serving. Time magazine logoResearchers at the Mayo Clinic looked at several months of 2014 survey data from 6,560 U.S. physicians measuring features of work life, including burnout and electronic use. Even after controlling for factors like age, sex, specialty and the number of hours doctors work per week, the researchers found a strong link between burnout and time spent doing digital work.

Reach: Time magazine covers national and international news and provides analysis and perspective of these events. The weekly magazine has a circulation of 3.2 million readers and its website has 4.6 million unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage:
ReutersBecker’s Orthopedic & Spine, HealthLeaders Media, KAAL-TV, KIMT-TVKTTC-TV, HealthDay, Health Data Management, Deccan Chronicle, Science Daily, Headlines & Global NewsFOX News, Tech Times, Doctors Lounge

Context: The growth and evolution of the electronic environment in health care is taking a toll on U.S. physicians. That’s according to a national study of physicians led by Mayo Clinic which shows the use of electronic health records and computerized physician order entry leads to lower physician satisfaction and higher rates of professional burnout. The findings appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings“Electronic health records hold great promise for enhancing coordination of care and improving quality of care,” says Tait Shanafelt, M.D., Mayo Clinic physician and lead author of the study. “In their current form and implementation, however, they have had a number of unintended negative consequences including reducing efficiency, increasing clerical burden and increasing the risk of burnout for physicians.” In collaboration with investigators from the American Medical Association (AMA), researchers from Mayo Clinic assembled a national sample of U.S. physicians using the AMA Physician Masterfile, a near complete record of alMl U.S. physicians. The survey included validated instruments to assess burnout, as well as items developed specifically for the study to evaluate the electronic practice environment of the participating physicians. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Bob Nellis

 

Wall Street Journal
How Telemedicine Is Transforming Health Care
by Melinda Beck

At the Mayo Clinic, doctors who treat out-of-state patients can follow up with them via phone, email or web chats when they return home, but they can only discuss the conditions they treated in person. “If the patient wants to talk about a new problem, the doctor has to be licensed in that state to discuss it. If not, the patient should talk to his primary-care physician about it,” says Steve Ommen, a cardiologist whoWSJ Banner runs Mayo’s Connected Care program.

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: Steve Ommen, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and is also medical director of Connected Care. Telehealth is simply using digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to manage your health and well-being. Telehealth, also called e-health or m-health (mobile health), includes a variety of health care services, including but not limited to:

  • Online support groups
  • Online health information and self-management tools
  • Email and online communication with health care providers
  • Electronic health records
  • Remote monitoring of vital signs, such as blood pressure, or symptoms
  • Video or online doctor visits

Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson

 

Huffington Post
This Is What A Poop Transplant Actually Looks Like
by Anna Almendrala

The procedure might sound disgusting and messy, but as the video clip from VICE shows, the procedure typically takes place in an extremely well-controlled and sterile hospital environment, and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. In the clip, doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota inject a mix of healthy poop and saline into a patient suffering from C-diff, and you won’t feel like gagging even once.Huffington Post Logo

Reach: The Huffington Post attracts over 28 million monthly unique visitors.

Context: Stephanie Bennett chronicle's her story in an In the Loop feature and her physician Sahil Khanna, M.B.B.S., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, discusses fecal transplant treatment of C. difficile at Mayo.

Contact: Joe Dangor

STAT, Lung cancer surgery left her ‘leaking’ and near death. Belly fat saved her life by Sharon Begley — The cells, her physicians at the Mayo Clinic reported in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, were packed onto a special mesh, which surgeons wrapped around the stump of the airway that ended in the fistula. The physicians who treated Leogrande are careful not to claim the stem cells helped close the fistula, however. “The honest truth is, we don’t know if there was any impact of the stem cells,” said Mayo’s Dr. Dennis Wigle. “But what we can say is that this was safe and feasible. It gives us a faint glimmer of hope that there might be some merit to studying” the use of stem cells to repair fistulas.

NBC News, Black Women Await More Federal Research Into Fibroids by Chandelis R. Duster — A study by the Mayo Clinic and the University of North Carolina of more than 900 women found that African American women had more severe symptoms, missed more days from work and were unsatisfied with information provided to them about fibroids than white women. They also wait four or more years before seeking medical treatment after diagnosis.

New York Times, The Cautionary Tale of Juan Martín del Potro by Christopher Clarey — …And so it was yet another bittersweet experience to watch del Potro back on court on Tuesday when he made his return to Wimbledon after a three-year absence and three operations on his left wrist. “I couldn’t be more proud of Juan Martín,” said Dr. Richard Berger, del Potro’s surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Berger called del Potro “a poster child for an unbreakable faith in his recovery and a dogged determination to come back, including modifying his swing, one of the most difficult things for a champion to do.”

Los Angeles Times, Two new vaccines can protect against Zika after a single shot by Melissa Healy — Among the challenges for a Zika vaccine, says Mayo Clinic immunologist Dr. Gregory Poland, is that it will likely be used to protect diverse populations with very different risks, and must be found acceptably safe in all. “Under the normal course of events, it could take years,” said Poland. “There’s just a whole lot of complexity here.”

Huffington Post, African American Women And Uterine Fibroids: Why More Awareness Is Needed To Overcome This Health Disparity by Alicia Armeli — African American women are nearly three times more likely to develop uterine fibroids and suffer with severe symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia, and pelvic pain. …And studies show, when it comes to racial diversity, fibroid research has taken a backseat. To examine racial diversity in fibroid clinical studies, Taran and a team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reviewed available literature between 2000 and 2006. The results may surprise you.

Huffington Post, Living Longer And Stronger by Nancy Brown — Last month, the Woman’s Day health team and our contributing editor, registered dietitian Joy Bauer, gathered in a conference room to tackle one of the toughest — and most rewarding — tasks of the year. We were selecting five women from a pool of thousands to participate in WD’s 4th Live Longer & Stronger Challenge, an eight-month program that gives women who have or are at risk of heart disease a health makeover…This year, a team of experts from the Mayo Clinic will lend their expertise as well. The program is in-depth, hands-on and very successful; over the last four years, our women have lowered their blood pressure, normalized cholesterol levels, cut medication dosages (or gone off them altogether!) and lost more than 660 pounds collectively.

USA Today, What is early onset Alzheimer's disease? by Liz Szabo — About 200,000 Americans suffer from early onset Alzheimer's disease, the condition that took the life Tuesday of legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt at age 64. She was diagnosed with the illness five years ago… People with early Alzheimer's are more likely to develop muscle twitching and spasms. They may be more active and physically fit than people with late-onset Alzheimer's disease, but decline at a faster rate, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Men’s Fitness, How to Lose Weight by Amy Roberts — With so many “get ripped yesterday” and “lose 50 pounds by tomorrow” schemes out there, it’s tempting to keep looking for that easy way to lean out. But, even extreme plans that seem to work for a while are fraught with trouble (ahem, that Biggest Loser study). The reality: If you really want to be a slimmer you, you’ll be making some habit changes in terms of how you eat and move. “Lifestyle changes are the best way to improve health and manage weight long term,” says Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program and editor of The Mayo Clinic Diet Book and The Mayo Clinic Cookbook.

UPI.com, New compact MRI scanner designed for head, small extremities by Stephen Feller — A smaller magnetic resonance imaging machine has long been the goal of the medical industry in an effort to reduce cost and space, as well as to make scans more comfortable for patients who are uncomfortable laying inside a machine during imaging. The Mayo Clinic and General Electric will unveil a new compact 3T MRI scanner on June 28 at the Clinic's Rochester campus, where a prototype of the device has been installed for trial use after more than eight years of development.

KTTC-TV, Mayo Clinic unveils compact MRI scanner to improve patient experience by Chris Yu — Mayo Clinic has unveiled a compact MRI scanner that researchers say is the first of its kind in the world. Developed in collaboration with General Electric's Global Research Center and funded by a nearly $6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the prototype is being housed in the Charlton North Building in Mayo Clinic's downtown Rochester campus. "Sometimes in larger cities, the cost of putting an MR in a building -- where you have to take out the side of the building, use large cranes to get it in within the center of the building, and in addition to that, have a vent for the helium in case it were to release -- is more expensive than the MR itself," said Dr. John Huston, a co-principal investigator in the project. Additional coverage: KIMT-TVHIT Consultant

Daily Mail, Messaging messes with your mind: Researchers reveal texting changes the rhythm of your BRAIN by Cheyenne Macdonald — According to a new study, sending a text message or using an iPad can change the rhythm of a person's brain waves, creating a unique 'texting rhythm' that's never been seen before. In the study, a team led by Mayo Clinic researcher William Tatum tracked the brain waves of 129 patients with and without epilepsy. Researchers monitored their brain waves for 16 months, using electroencephalograms (EEGs) and video footage. In roughly 1 out of 5 patients using their phone to text, the researchers detected the never-before-described 'texting rhythm.'

International Business Times, Texting on smartphones can change the rhythm of brain waves, study shows by Hyacinth Mascarenhas —For most people, text messaging has become the preferred method of daily communication between friends, family and colleagues over speaking on the phone and face-to-face contact. According to the study published by Mayo Clinic researcher Dr William Tatum in the Epilepsy and Behaviour journal, sending someone a text message or using an iPad can change the rhythm of a person's brain waves, creating a unique "texting rhythm" that has not been observed before. Additional coverage: Forbes

HealthDay, Testosterone Therapy May Boost Older Men's Sex Lives by Dennis Thompson — Dr. Landon Trost said the results of the new study show that aging men who experience normal declines in testosterone can benefit from replacement therapy. Trost is an assistant professor of urology and expert on male sexual dysfunction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "The study would argue that normal is normal," Trost said. "Even if there's an age-related decline, that should be considered abnormal."

The Atlantic, When the Body Attacks the Mind by Moises Velasquez-Manoff — …A recent retrospective study by scientists at the Mayo Clinic, a center of research on autoimmune neurological conditions, found that, compared with a control group of healthy people, psychiatric patients were more likely to harbor antibodies directed at brain tissue. One implication is that some of these patients’ psychiatric symptoms might have stemmed from autoimmune problems, and that they might have benefited from immunotherapy.

Health.com, What You Really Need to Know About Brain-Eating Amoebas by Lauren Oster …The majority of PAM infections have occurred in southern states—Florida and Texas alone account for more than half of all U.S. cases. But as climate change heats the globe, Naegleria fowleri seems to have expanded its territory. Minnesota confirmed cases in both 2010 and 2012. “If temperatures continue to rise, we could see this in areas farther north,” says Bobbi Pritt, MD, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

News4Jax, Mayo Clinic News Network: Alzheimer's: When to stop driving — Driving is a routine part of adult life for many people. It's also a symbol of independence. While the focused concentration and quick reaction time needed for safe driving tends to decline with age, Alzheimer's disease accelerates this process dramatically. If you're caring for a person living with Alzheimer's disease, you'll need to address the issue of his or her driving and ease the transition to different ways of getting around.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo recognized for children's center by Brett Boese — The Mayo Clinic Children's Center has again been ranked as one of the top facilities in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The Rochester-based facility was one of three Minnesota centers recognized in the 2016-17 ranking of Best Children's Hospitals. The other two were the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, which are both located in Minneapolis.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo seeks real estate partner for Discovery Square by Andrew Setterholm — Mayo Clinic plans to hire a private real estate development company to plan the development of its property in Discovery Square over the next two decades. The clinic issued requests for proposals to pre-qualified developers and received nine submissions, said Jeff Bolton, Mayo Clinic's chief administrative officer, at a Thursday meeting of the Destination Medical Center Corp. board of directors. Mayo hopes to select a development firm from the proposals by the end of July or early August, said Doug Holtan, vice-chairman of Mayo department of facilities and support services. That firm would bring on an architect and begin a master planning process for the campus.

Post-Bulletin, Transit tops DMC leaders' to-do list by Andrew Setterholm — "Second (Street Southwest) is the logical place, but it's not the determined place yet," Rybak said. "It strikes me as an issue we should drive super hard to get to closure on, absolutely as quickly as possible, and then look at how we're going to use that to be the single disruptor of the current situation." In the short term, simple efficiency measures could help reduce the pressure of downtown traffic, said City Council Member Michael Wojcik. One measure would be to improve shuttles from hotels to Mayo facilities, he said.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo casts wide net with Discovery Square plan by Brett Boese — Mayo Clinic recently leveraged an international bio science conference in California to announce the Discovery Square development that will double its research footprint in downtown Rochester. That venue was selected over a hometown press conference in hopes of making a splash with the media horde and the 14,000 attendees, which included 75 heavy hitters from the bio science industry who got exclusive invitations to attend Mayo Clinic's special event on June 7.

Post-Bulletin, Learning series explores 'Women of Mayo Clinic' by Claire Colby — The Food For Thought learning series presents "Women of Mayo Clinic" with Virginia Wright-Peterson at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday at the Winona County History Center. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch and a beverage will be served. The event is free and open to the public. Hear more about Wright-Peterson's research and the women who were closely involved with the development of the world-renowned medical facility.

Post-Bulletin, Group pushes ahead with high-speed rail plans by Heather J. Carlson — It's full steam ahead for a private rail company looking to build a high-speed rail line from Rochester to the Twin Cities. North American High Speed Rail Group's Chief Manager Wendy Meadley said a preliminary study of the possible route has not turned up any major problems… Mayo Clinic has long pushed for a high-speed rail connection between the Med City and the Twin Cities. Asked about the latest proposal, Mayo Clinic spokesman Karl Oestreich said in a statement, "We are pleased with the private investor interest and look forward to their analysis of this potential project."

Post-Bulletin, Heard on the Street: Rochester data firm expands focus, changes name — A Rochester medical analytics firm is expanding its reach with new products and a new name. Transfuse Solutions Inc., known for analytical software focuses on blood transfusions, recently changed its name to Apri Health Inc., said co-founder and retired Mayo Clinic physician Dr. Mark Ereth. Ereth and Jamison Feramisco founded Transfuse in 2013 in the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator in downtown Rochester. It launched with data tools to evaluate the necessity of blood transfusions. Ereth said nearly half of transfusions are unnecessary and just add to the cost of health care.

Post-Bulletin, Heard on the Street: New business incubator to fire up in August — As the renovation of the 115-year-old Conley-Maass building nears the finish line, Jamie Sundsbak is starting to rev up a new business incubator. Sundsbak, the founder of Rochester's BioAM entrepreneur group and a senior research technologist at Mayo Clinic, soon will leave Mother Mayo to take the wheel of the Collider business incubator, on the second floor of the historic downtown building at 14 Fourth St. SW.

KTTC-TV, Mayo Clinic's 2 million square foot expansion into Discovery Square discussed in DMCC board meeting by Taj Simmons — It's time to put Rochester on the map: that was Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency director Lisa Clarke's mission during a bio business conference in San Francisco earlier this month. Rochester made their presence felt during the conference when they announced Mayo Clinic would expand by 2 million square feet in DMC's Discovery Square district, which is located just south of downtown. The first unspecified project will be 60 to 100,000 square feet and will most likely break ground next fall. "Discovery Square is here, Mayo Clinic is here, and DMC is here," said Clarke. "In Rochester Minnesota, we're open for business, and we want people to take part in our project."

Mankato Times, Men’s health tips from a Mayo Clinic Health System expert by Joe Steck — June is Men’s Health Month, making now an ideal time for men of all ages to evaluate whether or not they’re doing the right things when it comes to well-being. Chaun Cox, M.D., Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato family physician, shares the following tips to help men live healthier lives and enjoy the benefits of positive changes.

City Pages, Mayo doctor says coffee and cigarettes could help you avoid Parkinson’s disease by Susan Du — First, Mayo Clinic researchers released an exhaustive report showing that contrary to what other scientists may have said, rates of Parkinson’s have been on a steep incline over the past 30 years. “We have reasons to believe that this is a real trend,” said Dr. Rodolfo Savica, lead author of the study. “The trend is probably not caused merely by changes in people’s awareness or changes in medical practice over time.” Then another researcher published findings indicating that smoking could actually reduce that risk. Dr. Walter Rocca’s studies followed a number of reports that have concluded more or less the same, that nicotine has a preventative effect on Parkinson’s.

ABC13 Houston, Things to do that keep you active, healthy and disrupt aging — It may sound strange, but performing tasks like paying bills, sending emails or even checking your Facebook can be great for your brain health. According to a study performed at the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, men and women age 70 and older who used their computer at least once a week, read magazines, played games or participated in crafts were at a reduced risk for mild cognitive impairment, a condition that can be a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.

Mass Device, Mayo Clinic study yields potential stem cell treatment for bronchopleural fistulas by Fink Densford — A new study from the Mayo Clinic has yielded a possible solution for treating bronchopleural fistulas using stem cells harvested from the patient’s abdominal tissue seeded into bioabsorbable meshes. “Current management is not reliably successful. After exhausting therapeutic options, and with declining health of the patient, we moved toward a new approach. The protocol and approach were based on an ongoing trial investigating this method to treat anal fistulas in Crohn’s disease,” study lead author Dr. Dennis Wigle of the Mayo Clinic said in a press release.

NewsWorks, Why don't young doctors want to work in primary care? — To figure this out, I spoke to Colin West, a primary doctor and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He's a prominent researcher on the economics of primary care. "There's data to suggest in the mid to late 1990s about 50 percent of all US medical school graduates were choosing primary care careers," he told me. "And current estimates are that that is below 20%." West says the pipeline of future primary care physicians has really slowed down. As a result, today only roughly 30 percent of physicians practice primary care, compared to 70 percent 50 years ago.

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Many analysts question whether EC’s health care market can sustain new hospital by Julian Emerson — The answer to whether the Chippewa Valley can support another hospital depends on whom you ask, but health care analysts agree that another major addition to Eau Claire’s medical sector will significantly alter the local health care landscape. On June 17 Marshfield Clinic Health System officials announced plans to build a new hospital and cancer clinic at the site of The Plaza Hotel & Suites, 1202 W. Clairemont Ave. Plans call for the cancer clinic to be constructed next year and the hospital in 2018… Dr. Randall Linton, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System in northwestern Wisconsin, praised the quality of health care in the Chippewa Valley when Marshfield announced its plans on June 17, but did not speak directly to the project. Officials at OakLeaf Surgical Hospital did not return calls seeking comment.

Sawyer County Record, Mayo Clinic Health System expands lung screening program in northwest Wisconsin — Up until now, the Lung Screening Program has been available to patients throughout northwest Wisconsin, but the low-dose CT scan could only be performed in Eau Claire. Those scans now can be performed at Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Barron, Bloomer, Menomonie, Osseo and Rice Lake. “People who have lung cancer often don’t even know it,” says pulmonologist Adel Zurob, M.D. “Symptoms of cough, chest pain, coughing up blood or weight loss may not appear until the cancer is in a late stage.”

WKBT-TV LaCrosse, CDC: nasal mist flu vaccine not effective — Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse says with the mist no longer being recommended they still recommend kids get the traditional shot. 'Receiving the injectable flu vaccine far outweighs the temporary pain of the injection or the possible risk of exposure of the flu influenza to your family, friends or the general public.'

Vietnam News, US clinic helps hospital develop stem cell transplantation — Experts from the United States’ Mayo Clinic will help the Saint Paul General Hospital apply stem cell transplantation in trauma-orthopedic treatment and train its human resources to handle such applications. The cooperation was part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed recently with an aim to improve the hospital’s examination and treatment quality for patients in Hà Nội. Under the framework of the MoU, Mayo Clinic experts will provide human resource training for Saint Paul Hospital doctors in applying stem cell transplantation while treating blood issues, injury diseases and neuropathology surgery.

GenomeWeb, Mayo Clinic, Transplant Genomics Ink Collaboration — Transplant Genomics has announced a collaboration with the Mayo Clinic to develop, validate, and commercialize diagnostic testing for solid organ transplant recipients. Under the terms of the agreement the partners will perform a multi-year assessment of the firm's TruGraf test for renal transplant monitoring at Mayo campuses in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida. They will also co-develop new tests for other types of organ and will launch exploratory studies of heart and liver transplantation monitoring. Additional coverage: HIT Consultant

Bring Me The News, President Obama honors Minnesota Lynx for 3rd WNBA title by Aaron Ziemer — Obama spent the most time giving credit to Lynx players for being outstanding role models for young girls everywhere. “These women are not just All-Star basketball players, they are also leaders in the Minnesota community,” said Obama. “They host an annual breast health awareness game in partnership with the Mayo Clinic, they made holiday cards for children of military members and they teamed up with the boys and girls clubs to make meals for kids who would otherwise go hungry.”

MedPage Today, Smoking and Obesity Worsen RA — Interview with Dr. Eric Matteson at the 17th Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.

Neurology Today, News from the AAN Annual Meeting: When to Begin Aggressive Treatments in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: It's a Matter of Debate by Thomas Collins — Brian Weinshenker, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, said, however, that most MS cases aren't so clear-cut, in part because MS isn't a “uniformly severe disease.” Researchers and physicians can be “blinded by the elegance” of experimental neuropathology studies showing degenerated axons and lesions and MRI studies showing increased rates of brain atrophy. But population-based studies involving more robust, clinically relevant outcomes have consistently shown that many patients actually have mild disease. Dr. Weinshenker waved a caution flag: While early, aggressive treatment is perfectly fine for patients with aggressive MS, he said, it's important not to gloss over the complexities and to generalize all patients.

Medical Xpress, E-consults increase access to specialty care, reduce need for face-to-face appointments — …In another study looking at internal referrals at Mayo Clinic Rochester, researchers found that in 83 percent of the cases, a face-to-face appointment was not needed following an e-consult. Lead study author Jennifer Pecina, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic Rochester, noted the program mirrors traditional processes for ordering a face-to-face visit. As specialists and primary care providers share one electronic medical record, all of the data that is available to the referring provider is available to the specialists without requiring any data transfer.

DOTmed.com, Mayo Clinic and GE to unveil compact 3T MR scanner by Lauren DuBinsky — In the future, claustrophobia may no longer be a cause for concern for patients undergoing a head MR exam. This week, Mayo Clinic will unveil a compact 3T MR scanner that it developed with GE’s Global Research Center to an invitation-only audience. It’s still an investigational, research device, but it’s about one-third the size of a conventional MR and it only needs a fraction of the liquid helium to operate.

Minnesota State University, Making an IMPACT by Neil Gilbraith — It is not very often that undergraduate research students are allowed to present their work in front of Mayo scientists and physicians, but thanks to the Innovative Minds Partnering to Advance Curative Therapies (IMPACT) program, four MSUM students were allowed to do just that. This program, sponsored by Regenerative Medicine Minnesota, encourages creative solutins to critical health questions through the collaboration between undergraduate students and Mayo Clinic. “Teams of up to five students get together and choose a topic to research and present their findings at Mayo,” explained Vincent Anani (biosciences). “These topics are not well understood and do not yet have cures, giving the students an opportunity to participate in groundbreaking research.”

Gizmodo, Texting Produces An Entirely New Kind Of Brain Wave Pattern by George Dvorksy — A research team from the Mayo Clinic has shown that text messaging changes the rhythm of brain wave patterns in a way that’s never seen before. William Tatum, the lead author of the new study, put it this way: “We believe this new rhythm is an objective metric of the brain’s ability to process non-verbal information during use of electronic devices and that it is heavily connected to a widely distributed network augmented by attention or emotion.” To make the discovery, Tatum’s team at the Mayo Clinic analysed electroencephalogram (EEG) data from nearly 130 participants. In conjunction with video footage, their brain waves were monitored over a period of 16 months. Additional coverage: The Indian Express

LaCrosse Tribune, Mayo-Franciscan residency program marks 40 years — The Family Medicine Residency program at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare will mark its 40th anniversary Friday, having trained 198 residents since it began in 1976. “We are one of the older family medicine residencies in the country and have gained a reputation of being one of the best programs in the Upper Midwest — if not the country,” said Dr. Thomas Grau, program director.

KEYC-TV Mankato, Keeping Fireworks Safety In Mind This Fourth Of July by Robert Clark — Fireworks are one way that Americans say happy birthday to their country... but every year heartbreak seems to follow this holiday tradition. "Every year there's about ten and a half thousand injuries a year due to fireworks, mostly affecting the hands, the head and the eyes," said Bob Friese, an optometrist at Mayo Clinic Health System Fairmont. While many people think they are exciting and fun, a simple spark from a firework is enough to cause a serious injury, "Most of those injuries are burns. So if injury does occur to the eye don't rub the eye, rinse the eye. Don't apply pressure to the eye. All those things can make the injury worse and also cause infection to the injury. Best thing to do would be to call 911 or have someone drive you to the emergency room," said Friese.

TeenVogue, Your Teacher's Stress May Rub Off On You by Brittney McNamara — No matter what the cause is, chronic stress isn’t good for anybody. The Mayo Clinic points out common symptoms of stress include headaches, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and more. Stress can lead to worsened anxiety, lack of motivation, depression, over- or under-eating, alcohol or drug use, and the list continues. That’s why recognizing stress is important. If you recognize these symptoms, the Mayo Clinic says you’re better able to manage your stress.

Wired magazine, A Knock on the Head Can Give You the British Accent of Your Dreams by Nick Stockton —“It’s a rare disorder that has been described for about 100 years or so,” says Timothy Young, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Fewer than 100 people have ever been diagnosed. Foreign accent syndrome is a language disorder, not unlike stuttering or dyslexia. Most sufferers (if such a label can be responsibly used for a condition that confers such obvious social capital) develop their accents after neurological trauma. “Speech is produced in the left hemisphere of the brain, so the best documented cases involve a stroke or trauma to that hemisphere,” says Young.

Chicago Business Journal, 5 things your business should be doing on social media right now by Michael Walsh — Social media. It’s everywhere, and not just on your smartphone. It has been the perennial buzzword in business’s marketing and communications strategies for years. But how you use social media personally and as a business are two very different things. Lee Aase, director of the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network, shares his advice to help business get in the social media game with a winning strategy.

KTTC-TV, Minnesota health leaders organize local Cancer Moonshot Summit to help find a cure by Taj Simmons — That push to find a cure came Wednesday, when more than 500 medical professionals convened for the Minnesota Cancer Moonshot Summit. The event featured doctors from the University of Minnesota, the Masonic Cancer Center, the Hormel Institute, and Mayo Clinic all looking to learn from one another. "Each of us have our strengths...not everyone is strong is everything," said Dr. Thomas Witzig of Mayo Clinic. "By working together, the patient wins."

Mankato Free Press, Mayo's Medicare rewards outweigh fines by Brian Arola — Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato’s high quality of care rating ensured the hospital came out ahead in Medicare rewards this year. The hospital was awarded $121,600 for having above average quality of care. The figure outweighs but doesn’t diminish $26,400 worth of fines levied against the hospital for a higher than average rate of readmissions. Dr. James Hebl, vice president of Mayo Clinic Health System’s southwest Minnesota region, said the reward for quality of care is something to be proud of, as it represents a more overall measure of the hospital’s effectiveness. “We were extremely happy with the fact we did so well in that, being not only better than what we did in 2015, but also significantly better than the state average,” he said.

Twin Cities Business, After VC Funding, Mayo Incubator Tenant Looks To Expand Rochester Presence by Don Jacobson — A “personalized medicine” biotech firm with offices in the Mayo Clinic’s business incubator has landed a $7.5 million venture investment, some of which will go to strengthen its research ties with Mayo and could lead to a much bigger presence in Rochester, its CEO and co-founder says. Blueprint Bio, of Newport Beach, Calif., announced last week it had closed on a Series A financing. It was led by Forentis Fund, a $50 million biotech-focused venture capital pool, which confirmed it had contributed $7.5 million to the round.

MedPage Today, EULAR: New Recommendations for Treating Vasculitis by Nancy Walsh —The recommendations, formulated by a task force that represented EULAR and the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association, consist of 15 statements "termed 'recommendations' as opposed to 'guidelines' or 'points to consider' because they offer guidance which needs to be tailored to meet individual requirements," according to Chetan Mukhtyar, MBBS, MD, of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich, England, and colleagues. "I think these are all very sound recommendations," said Steven R. Ytterberg, MD, a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who was not involved in the development of the recommendations."This clearly reflects the standard of care," he told MedPage Today.

Pioneer Press, New Mayo Clinic regional board would oversee facilities — Dr. Tom Witt, CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls, Lake City and Red Wing, said the system has no plan to end its affiliation agreement with Lake City. As part of the contract, Mayo Clinic agreed to purchase Lake City’s existing hospital for $7 million. Mayo still owes the city about $3 million, which is scheduled to be paid over the remaining 12 years of the contract. Additional coverage: Austin Herald

Star Tribune, Mayo Clinic to overhauls governance models for facilities — The Mayo Clinic is overhauling the way it governs its facilities across southeast Minnesota. The Post-Bulletin reports that the new model would create a regional board working with local boards in Rochester, Lake City, Cannon Falls, Red Wing, Owatonna, Faribault, Austin and Albert Lea. The overhaul is a departure from the current model that has each host city set up its own board to discuss local issues. Former Lake City attorney Phil Gartner, who helped negotiate a 30-year contract that set up the local governance board with Mayo Clinic, says he is concerned that the city will lose influence and authority under a region governance model. Additional coverage: Post-Bulletin

Mankato Times, Mayo Clinic Health System hosting sensory adventure at Children’s Museum by Joe Steck — Mayo Clinic Health System will host a sensory adventure called “Chilling Out with Frozen Fruits” Saturday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, 224 Lamm Street, Mankato. Occupational therapists from Mayo Clinic Health System will be on hand to answer questions and share information about sensory engagement and tasting different textures. Kids will be able to touch and taste fruit in different forms — fresh, dried and frozen — and vote on which they like best.

La Salud, Médica Sur celebra su 35 aniversario con un evento académico — Médica Sur celebró el 35 aniversario de su fundación con un evento académico en el Auditorio Dr. Luis Guevara González de la Unidad Académica de la Fundación Clínica Médica Sur, en donde reunió a un panel de médicos de prestigio internacional para compartir sus experiencias en el el Foro “Retos de la Salud”. Por mencionar algunos: forma parte de la Red de Atención Médica de la Mayo Clinic, la cual se compone de un grupo de organizaciones que buscan mejorar la atención del paciente; de igual manera cuenta con la certificación por parte de la Joint Commission International (JCI), que mide, identifica y comparte las mejores prácticas, así como soluciones innovadoras para mejorar su rendimiento y resultados.

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