Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Thank you.

Editor, Karl Oestreich;  Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik

 

Modern Healthcare
Commentary: Why Mayo Clinic wants to rethink how hospital quality is graded
by Dr. John Noseworthy

You may have seen the news: Mayo Clinic was one of a small number of hospitals in the country awarded a five-star rating by the CMS on its Hospital Compare website when the ratings were released in July. Mayo was also named the top hospital in the country by U.S. News and World Report in its annual Best Hospitals Honor Roll. What may be surprising, in light of these accolades, is our concern about the way value is being measured.

Reach: Modern Healthcare is the industry's leading source of healthcare business and policy news, research and information. The magazine covers health care policy, Medicare/Medicaid, and health care from a business perspective. Modern Healthcare magazine is ranked No. 1 in readership among healthcare executives and deemed a "must-read" by the who's who in healthcare. Modern Healthcare has more than 72,0000 paid magazine subscribers and its website receives more than 568,000 unique visitors each month.

Context: John Noseworthy, M.D. is Mayo Clinic President and CEO.

Contact: Duska Anastasijevic

 

KSTP
Targeted Therapy Means Lung Cancer Doesn’t Have to be a Death Sentence
by Kevin Doran

…Katherine Bensen has a charmed life. A wonderful marriage and four beautiful kids. But it all changed December 31, 2014. "And I was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of the lungs, which is stage 4, and a nonsmoking lung cancer."…Initially, Katherine was told her only option was chemo, and she had 6 to 12 months to live. But, then she discovered she was a candidate for targeted therapy, which she received at Mayo Clinic.

Reach: KSTP-TV is the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis that broadcasts on channel 5. KSTP-TV Online has more than 503,000 unique visitors each month. It is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., and is the only locally-owned and operated broadcasting company in the Twin Cities. KSTP-TV first broadcast in April 1948, and was the first television station to serve the upper Midwest.

Context: Julian Molina,M.D., Ph.D, is an oncologist with the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Dr. Molina's research focuses on drug development/phase I clinical trials, lung cancer, and head and neck malignancies including thyroid cancer.

Contact: Joe Dangor

 

MPR
Photos: A walk through Mayo Clinic's healing art
by Catharine Richert

Auguste Rodin, Andy Warhol and Alexander Calder never trained a doctor, performed surgery or cured a disease. But their timeless art, on display around Mayo Clinic, still offers a kind of medicine. "The arts do have a healing aspect. They improve the quality of experience for patients," Dr. Paul Scanlon, a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine, said as he walked a reporter and photographer recently around some of Mayo's most notable pieces.

Reach: Minnesota Public Radio operates 43 stations and serves virtually all of Minnesota and parts of the surrounding states. MPR has more than 100,000 members and more than 900,000 listeners each week, which is the largest audience of any regional public radio network.

Context: Art is an important part of the Mayo Clinic healing environment. Mayo's history is also vital to the foundation of the clinic and an integral part of the patient-focused care model. Tour guides and greeters in these areas serve by sharing their love of history and art to enhance patients' care experience at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine supports the primary value of Mayo Clinic, the needs of the patient come first, by integrating the arts and expressions of human culture into the healing environment. Paul Scanlon, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Dr. Scanlon also chairs Mayo's Humanities in Medicine Committee, which provides leadership for integrating the arts, history and ethics in the medical environment to support the Mayo Clinic ideal that the needs of the patient come first. The Center`s programs and research in the humanities serve patients, families, caregivers and the larger community, promoting the compassionate delivery of healthcare.

Contact: Duska Anastasijevic

 

Arizona Republic
Our View: Mayo Clinic and ASU are rethinking the best doctor you've ever had

"Innovative" is one of those words that gets overused. But it fits when Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic describe their new team effort. This partnership not only offers Arizona an innovative way to run a medical school, it brings prestige to the Valley and the state. Most importantly, it focuses on preparing doctors for changes -- known and unknown -- that will affect their patients in the future.

Reach: The Arizona Republic has daily circulation of more than 180,000 and its website azcentral.com has more than 2.6 million unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage:

Phoenix Business Journal, ASU, Mayo to build $200M innovation center in Phoenix

Arizona Republic, Mayo, ASU join forces on new medical school

Arizona Republic, Mayo, ASU team up on Scottsdale med school

Modern Healthcare, ASU, Mayo Clinic recruit students for new med school, training program

Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine, 5 things to know about ASU, the Mayo Clinic partnership to transform healthcare education KJZZ

ABC15 Arizona, News-medical.net, KTAR-Radio, TriValley Central, Arizona Daily Star, FierceHealthcare, KJZZ

Context:  Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University have announced the launch of a comprehensive new model for health care education and research: the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care. The goal of the alliance is to innovate health care delivery to improve patient care, accelerate cutting-edge research discoveries, and transform medical education. The alliance further links two of the Phoenix area’s most recognizable institutions. ASU recently was named the nation’s No. 1 “most innovative” university by U.S. News & World Report.Mayo Clinic earned the No. 1 top ranking nationally on 2016 U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals, as well as the No. 1 spots for top hospitals in Arizona and Phoenix, Minnesota and Florida. The formalized alliance provides cohesion to a collection of joint projects, which have evolved over the past decade and sets the stage for many more. This expansion promises growing impact and scale. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic New Network and on Mayo Medical School's website.

Contact:  Jim McVeigh

USA Today, Exclusive: Ken Burns developing 'The Gene' based on Mukherjee's bestseller by Gary Levin — Ken Burns is simultaneously working on projects ranging from Vietnam to the history of the Mayo Clinic to a documentary on country music. Next he'd like to tackle human genetics.

Healthcare Dive, Mayo Clinic is ready for its close-up in new Ken Burns doc — The film is reported to be in the early stages of development with little detail yet being made public aside from a small promotion on the website of the Better Angels Society, which raises funds to support Burns' film projects. It describes the film as one that will chronicle the history of the institution, beginning "from its 19th century roots as an unlikely partnership between a country doctor and the Sisters of Saint Francis — forged in response to a devastating tornado in 1883 — to its position today as a worldwide model for collaborative patient care, research and education." Additional coverage: Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, KARE11, KTTC, Pioneer Press, MPR, Charlotte Observer, Bristol Herald Courier, KFGO Fargo, San Francisco Gate

Post Bulletin, Ken Burns working on Mayo Clinic documentary by Jeff Kiger — Emmy Award-winning documentarian Ken Burns is working on a film about Mayo Clinic. He could be seen on Tuesday taking photos in the crowds of people watching the closing of the Plummer Building doors to memorialize the death of Sister Generose Gervais. Mayo Clinic confirmed that Burns was working in Rochester this week and did attend some of the Sister Generose memorial events. Burns, known for his documentaries on the Civil War, baseball and cancer, is working on a film about Mayo Clinic for PBS. Additional coverage: Star Tribune, Becker’s Hospital Review, WEAU Eau Claire, KEYC Mankato, KSTP, Kansas City Star, KNSI Radio, Albert Lea Tribune, Wichita Eagle

Manila Bulletin, Luke’s partners with Mayo Clinic by Martin Sadongdong — St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) yesterday forged a partnership with Mayo Clinic, one of the most reputable healthcare organizations in the United States, making the SLMC the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Dr. Edgardo Cortez, SMLC president and chief executive officer , said that with the partnership, local physicians will be given access to the latest Mayo Clinic resources which can help patients in getting “answers to complex medical questions close to home and at no additional charge”.

Philippine Star, Wanted: Warmer ties with RP and Beijing by Bobi Avila — While I was writing this piece, my TV was tuned to ANC’s HeadStart with Karen Davila, watching an interview dubbed “Providing Better Health Services for Filipinos” which featured Dr. Edgardo Cortez, CEO of St. Luke’s Medical Center and Dr. David Hayes, Enterprise Medical Director of the famous Mayo Clinic where they announced a partnership between the two hospitals. I found that interview to be very interesting because it begs the question, why would Mayo Clinic be interested to partner with a Philippine hospital? The other question is… what good is this for the ordinary Filipino?

Malaya Business Insight, St. Luke’s Medical Center joins Mayo Clinic Care Network by Edison Joseph — St. Luke’s Medical Center has been selected to become a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a network of healthcare organizations committed to better serve patients and their families. St. Luke’s physicians will collaborate with their Mayo Clinic counterparts at no additional cost to patients and get access to Mayo Clinic’s world renowned expertise. “We are co-equal in this kind of partnership – we are here to learn from each other. The basic aim of this is to improve patient care in general and so what we expect would be innovative ideas on how to expand and continue this partnership,” said Dr. Edgardo Cortez, St. Luke’s Medical Center president and chief executive officer.

Huffington Post, How To Revamp Your Sleep Routine Using Meditation — Practice Tai Chi: There are plenty of online resources where beginners can learn the basics of tai chi. The Mayo Clinic offers a video on the basics of the practice as well. (Those with existing health conditions should consult their doctor before beginning any sort of new exercise regime.)

Yahoo!, Children Should Share Their Parents’ Bedroom Until They’re a Year Old by Korin Miller — Children should sleep in the same room as their parents for the first six months, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP also said that babies should never sleep on a soft surface, such as an armchair or couch. Experts don’t know exactly what causes SIDS, defined by the Mayo Clinic as the “unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. SIDS is sometimes known as crib death because the infants often die in their cribs.”

Vox, We finally have an “artificial pancreas” for diabetics. But it's a letdown. by Julia Belluz — Researchers are exploring immunotherapies for Type 1 diabetes that would reverse and restore the immune systems of Type 1 diabetes patients, so that they no longer attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. They’re also working on stem cell therapies that would implant patients with the insulin-making cells they lack. These therapies wouldn’t require gadgets or insulin. "At the moment, we don’t have any grand slams," the Mayo Clinic’s Yogish Kudva told me. So diabetics will have to wait, and hope they can afford the 100-year-old drug they rely on as insulin prices soar.

The Culture-ist, Soak In The Benefits: 4 Ways Hot Springs Improve Your Health by Priscilla Liguori — … Dr. Brent A. Bauer, director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic, noted that the research on hot springs is ongoing. “Each of these trials has a small number of participants – so we can’t say they are definitive – but at least point to potential health effects of hot springs for some patients,” he said. The effects of hot springs, according to Bauer, are likely due to many factors. But he agreed, “Probably some of the effect from bathing in hot springs is just feeling good.”

AllAfrica.com, Nigeria: Health Services Should Be Free for Everybody Just Like in UK, Says Braithwaite by Eniola Daniel — American Hospital Dubai (AHD), a leading private hospital and member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, has expressed confidence in its move towards introducing new benchmarks of excellence for the medical industry. Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at the American Hospital, Dr. Omowunmi Braithwaite, at the just concluded Medic West Africa healthcare exhibition in Lagos, told The Guardian that the hospital is committed to providing good healthcare. She said there is need to have functional healthcare insurance in Nigeria, and the country should have a medical legal system to protect patients from rogue doctors.

Wall Street Journal, Singapore’s Temasek Targets China’s Health-Care Sector With Joint Venture by Rick Carew — Singaporean state investment firm Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd. is making a bet on China’s growing health-care market, investing $250 million in a joint venture focused on the country with a U.S. firm, according to people familiar with the situation … Last year, investment firm Hillhouse Capital Group agreed to team up with Mayo Clinic to form a joint venture in China.

Washington Post, Beyond dyslexia fonts: What parents can do to help kids who struggle with reading by Jill L. Ferguson — …Over the past eight years, two companies, Dyslexie and OpenDyslexic, have designed fonts intended to help dyslexics. They include letters with heavy weighted bottoms and tails of varying lengths. The font may also space the letters a bit wider than usual. Both fonts were created to help deal with some of the symptoms of dyslexia. According to the Mayo Clinic, those include reading below grade level, problems processing and understanding what is heard, difficulty comprehending rapid instructions, difficulty hearing or seeing similarities and differences in letters and words, inability to sound out words and difficulty spelling.

USA Today, Depression is at an all-time high for college students by Kaisha Young — Today college students across the U.S. are battling depression at a record rate. In fact, the American College Counseling Association has noticed a steady increase of students reporting struggling with their mental health…Many types of people struggle with depression; however, according to the Mayo Clinic, college students face unique difficulties that might make them more vulnerable to it than others.

CBS News, Playboy model Katie May died from “neck manipulation by chiropractor,” coroner says — Playboy model Katie May died as a result of an injury caused by a chiropractor who manipulated her neck, CBS Los Angeles reports. Just days before the 34-year-old died in early February, she posted on Twitter that she had a pinched nerve in her neck and was going to see a chiropractor. … The Mayo Clinic calls chiropractic adjustments safe but says there are possible serious yet rare complications such as a herniated disk, compression of nerves in the lower spinal column and a certain type of stroke after neck manipulation.

FOX Health News, Hot flash genes? Symptom linked to DNA variation by Sara G. Miller — The reason one woman gets hot flashes while another woman stays cool and comfortable through menopause may come down to differences between their genes, a new study finds. … Currently, the most effective way to treat hot flashes is to take estrogen, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, this treatment can increase of a woman's risk of other health problems, the Mayo Clinic says.

WEAU (Eau Claire), Health leaders stress value of mammograms by Amanda Tyler — For Mayo Clinic Health System, the fall months mean more women coming through the doors of the HERS Breast Center. “We are able to get women in and back out within 30 minutes for their screening mammogram,” HERS Breast Center Supervisor Terri Soley said. Soley says no matter what time of year, getting an annual mammogram is crucial to detecting breast cancer early. While guidelines vary, Mayo Clinic Health System recommends women are seen annually for a mammogram once they reach age 40.

Becker’s Spine Review, National Academy of Medicine elects Dr. Michael Yaszemski of Mayo Clinic: 10 highlights by Megan Wood — The National Academy of Medicine elected Michael J. Yaszemski, MD, PhD, of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. Here are 10 highlights … Selection to the National Academy of Medicine represents excellent professional achievement as well as commitment to service. Dr. Yaszemski treats skeletal defects, specializing in oncologic surgery of the spine, sacrum and pelvis.

CBS News, Women catching up to men in this harmful habit by Dennis Thompson — Victor Karpyak, an alcohol researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., agreed that social evolution likely has played a role in this trend. “This is something which is mostly influencing access to alcohol and decisions that women in different societies make about whether they can drink, whether they can drink in public, whether they can drink in the company of males, and whether it’s acceptable for women to exhibit signs of intoxication,” Karpyak said. Additional coverage: KTTC

WJCT (Jacksonville), Refugees; Breast Cancer; Jacksonville Arboretum by Kevin Meerschaert — …Host Melissa Ross also spoke with Dr. Sarah McLaughlin from the Mayo Clinic about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Willis Jones, of the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens, told us about its upcoming ArborEATum Wine and Food Fest.

OncLive, Fonseca on Pivotal Trials in Multiple Myeloma by Rafael Fonseca, MD – Rafael Fonseca, MD, professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses some of the ongoing and recently presented clinical trials that could be potentially practice changing for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma during the 2016 OncLive State of the Science Summit on Treatment of Hematologic Malignancies.

Doctor Tipster, New abnormal protein may help diagnose and treat ALS and frontotemporal dementia — According to a study published in the journal Neuron, a new protein that may help diagnose neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrofic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, or frontotemporal dementia (FTD), has been identified. … Senior author Dr. Leonard Petrucelli, Chair of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in Florida, said that by identifying this protein that accumulates abnormally in the brains of patients it was discovered not only a biomarker but also a potential treatment for this debilitating diseases.

Post-Bulletin, Lives They Lived: ‘He was incredibly determined to do the right thing’ by Matthew Stolle — When Howard Taswell died earlier this month at 88, he had been retired from Mayo Clinic for more than 20 years. But such was the man and his work that his memory has long remained vivid among colleagues and staff at Mayo. For when he retired in 1993, Taswell's pioneering work as head of Mayo's blood bank and transfusion services were renowned internationally. Recognizing that most adverse transfusion reactions were due to clerical error, Taswell pioneered safety measures every step of the way, from blood collection and storage to administration.

Post-Bulletin, Answer Man: Dozens of Mayo food workers transfer out — Dear Answer Man, I've heard that about 30 percent of Mayo's food service workers have quit since the change to Morrison Healthcare was announced. True or not? Mayo spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo says it's not 30 percent of the roughly 700 employees who will be affected by the change, but "yes, we have had some transferring within Mayo." "Through the end of September, we had approximately 30 food service employees transfer to other jobs at Mayo Clinic in Rochester," she said. "We have approximately 30 more food service employees in Rochester who WILL BE transferring to other jobs at Mayo between now and January."

Foxboro Reporter, Sacking SIDS in Foxboro by Walter Mitchell — Perhaps the scariest thing for parents with healthy babies under the age of one is the slight possibility that their child could die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The horrifying thing about SIDS is that it is so unpredictable, and thus can be so difficult to prevent. According to the Mayo Clinic: "A combination of physical and sleep environmental factors can make an infant more vulnerable to SIDS. These factors may vary from child to child…”

WKBT LaCrosse, Enchanted Forest educates kids about healthy living — Area kids got a healthy taste of Halloween Saturday morning at Myrick Park. Mayo Clinic Heath System and WisCorps teamed up for the annual Enchanted Forest. The event is a non-spooky Halloween event to teach kids healthy eating and exercise. Mayo says it's important to teach kids about healthy options while also enjoying the sweeter things in life.

Alzforum, Global Rise in Total AD Cases Dwarfs Falling Age-Standardized Rate — These data are useful at the ‘global burden’ level; however, it is probably impossible to reconcile the empirical number with epidemiologic data on incidence, survival, and prevalence,” wrote Walter Rocca, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, to Alzforum. “The trends may be very different by region, and the global numbers are weighted averages of possibly opposing trends.”

Recode, AliveCor gets Mayo Clinic investment in heart health collaboration by Kara Swisher — AliveCor, a Silicon Valley startup focused in mobile electrocardiogram technology, is getting an investment from the Mayo Clinic and is also striking a wide-ranging collaboration with the famous medical institution to find “hidden health indicators” in heart readings. The six-year-old company did not disclose the amount of the investment, which sources said will apparently increase over time. The last time the company revealed its funding was in 2012, when it got $10.5 million from Khosla Ventures, for a total of $13.5 million.

KIMT, Why some foods can trigger migraines in certain people by DeeDee Stiepan — We spoke with a doctor in the headache division of Mayo Clinic’s Neurology Department who explains that the nitrates themselves don’t usually cause headaches. However the breakdown products nitrites and nitric oxide, can cause a headache. “We’ve long known that nitrates cause headaches in some migraine patients, there are other triggers as well. This study found a biochemical mechanism that would help to explain why some patients are sensitive to nitrates,” explains J.D. Bartleson, M.D. He says migraine patients should look out for headache triggers.

Mankato Free Press, Waiting is the hardest part for Mankato woman in need of a kidney by Brian Arola — Dorene Zimdahl is playing the waiting game…The 69-year-old Mankato woman with chronic kidney disease hopes to stave off dialysis as long as possible, which means she’ll need a transplant sometime in the not too distant future.Knowing her family would help if only they could still heartens her, but she’s started to shift her hope to other options for her much needed organ. She could receive an organ from a deceased donor. Donors who’ve passed away have given 36 percent of the kidneys used in transplants at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota dating back to the 1960s.

WKBT LaCrosse, New guidelines announced for child screen time — The American Academy of Pediatrics says children under the age of 18 months should spend no time in front of computer, smart phone, or television screens. Pediatric experts say screen time interferes with crucial direct connect between infants and their parents. "It's such a critically important period of time in life in terms of the development of language and social skills that we really want parents to focus on what they can bring to the child rather than what the screen can," says Charlie Peters, a Pediatric Specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System.

MD Magazine, The Value of Eliminating Sedentary Lifestyles by Ed Rabiowitz — According to a recent study, just over 11% of aggregate healthcare expenditures were associated with inadequate physical activity. “That says a lot right there when you’re talking about the economics of it,” says Donald Hensrud, MD, MPH, associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Healthy Living Program. “There’s pretty consistent evidence that inactivity is associated with not only medical issues, but also healthcare costs.”

HealthDay, Women Reaching Equality in Dubious Habit: Drinking by Dennis Thompson — Victor Karpyak, an alcohol researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., agreed that social evolution likely has played a role in this trend. "This is something which is mostly influencing access to alcohol and decisions that women in different societies make about whether they can drink, whether they can drink in public, whether they can drink in the company of males, and whether it's acceptable for women to exhibit signs of intoxication," Karpyak said. Additional coverage: Philly.com

BYU Radio, How Doctors Can be Role Models for Health — Dr. Edward Laskowski is a physiatrist in Rochester, Minnesota and is affiliated with Mayo Clinic. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. The holiday season is on the horizon and with that comes plenty of candy, large meals, and cold days spent indoors. But before the holidays get here and you lose your summer body, maybe take a moment and think if there is someone you can look to as an inspiration of health? Dr. Edward Laskowski says that your personal physician should be a role model for health.

TIME, Fibromyalgia Drug Shows Promise in Treating IBS Pain by Amanda MacMillan — There is considerable overlap when it comes to fibromyalgia and IBS, says Yuri Saito-Loftus, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. Many patients experience both conditions together, and both involve pain of some sort. “Treatment options for managing abdominal pain—particularly moderate to severe pain—are limited to antispasmodics and neuromodulators such as tricyclic antidepressants,” Dr. Saito-Loftus told Health. “But if patients don’t respond to those agents, there were few proven alternatives.”

Healthcare IT News, Mayo Clinic, ASU launch quality and cost model for healthcare research and education by Jeff Lagasse — On Friday, the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic announced a formal partnership to launch a medical certificate program at the clinic's new medical school in Scottsdale that will focus on healthcare costs. The organizations will offer courses on how patients receive care that will improve quality, outcomes and cost. Students will earn this certificate concurrent with their medical degree from the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine with the option to pursue a master's degree in the program through ASU.

Pioneer Press, Flip’s gift: One year later, Saunders’ impact still felt by Timberwolves by Jace Frederick — …The entire Mayo Clinic practice facility, which houses the Timberwolves and Lynx and was called “the gold standard” by NBA commissioner Adam Silver last summer, is in itself a monument of sorts to Saunders. He had input at nearly every step of the facility’s design, from the broad ideas of a layout that best suits the players to the minute details involving the finishes, tiles, countertops and carpet. Many professional practice facilities are in the middle of nowhere, so as to remove as many distractions as possible. The Mayo Clinic facility is in the heart of Minneapolis. There are windows all around the practice facility, including those visible from the public lobby.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Health Shorts: Toxic smoke, breast cancer, dementia risk — In a recent study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic have identified significant differences in the breast bacteria of women with and without breast cancer. The paper, in the journal Scientific Reports, reveals that inside the breast is a complex microscopic world much different from that of the skin tissue just outside. "There were really striking differences between skin tissue and breast tissue," said Tina J. Hieken, a Mayo Clinic breast surgical oncologist who led the study.

Eau Claire Leader Telegram, No age limit for breast cancer by Christena T. O'Brien — Sara Martinek considers herself lucky. The 29-year-old Eau Claire woman is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed at age 27 — 23 years younger than the recommended age for women to begin getting annual mammograms…“My (maternal) aunt had breast cancer at 26,” said the 29-year-old Martinek Wednesday at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, where she works in billing and accounts receivable. “That was in the back of my mind.” Martinek had an ultrasound and a biopsy. On May 14, 2014, she received the call to come in right away and learned she had breast cancer.

WJCT Jacksonville, Breast Cancer Awareneess — Host Melissa Ross spoke with Dr. Sarah McLaughlin from the Mayo Clinic about Breast Cancer Awareness Month,

Fierce Biotech, Mayo Clinic taps AliveCor’s machine learning to broaden ECG analysis by Amirah Al Idrus — In a collaboration with Mayo Clinic, AliveCor will apply its smartphone electrocardiogram device and machine learning algorithms to tease out new physiological indicators of heart health as well as general health. To date, AliveCor has collected about 10 million ECG recordings. The Mayo Clinic partnership will focus on applying its deep machine learning prowess to its bank of ECG recordings to “uncover hidden physiological signals to improve heart and overall human health,” according to a statement.

Smithsonian, Ask Smithsonian: What’s the Longest You Can Hold Your Breath? by Alicia Ault — Lung function—and breath holding—varies widely from individual to individual, says Clayton Cowl, chair of preventive occupational and aerospace medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The longer the hold, the more likely the person will experience strong and painful spasms of the diaphragm and in the muscles between the ribs as carbon dioxide builds up in the blood. The breath holder becomes lightheaded. High carbon dioxide levels—not low oxygen—account for the symptoms experienced by breath holding, says Cowl.

Finance & Commerce, New housing possible for Discovery Square block by Matt M. Johnson — A Faribault company has purchased the majority of a block in Rochester’s Discovery Square district, giving it an ownership stake in the first downtown area slated for extensive redevelopment under the auspices of the Destination Medical Center project. At least one experienced Rochester developer believes the property will be redeveloped as new housing. An entity named Residence at Discovery Square LLC bought a 31-unit, two-story apartment building at 519 Third Ave. SW and three adjacent single-family homes in a $3 million cash transaction on Oct. 19, according to a certificate of real estate value made public last week.

Yahoo! Sports, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease Announces Class of 2016 WomenHeart Champions — The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is pleased to announce that 39 women living with heart disease graduated from the fall 2016 WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to become WomenHeart Champions –a national volunteer corps of nearly 800 women heart disease survivors trained by WomenHeart as community educators, advocates and Support Network Coordinators to lead the fight against heart disease in women. "Thanks to our pioneering collaboration with Mayo Clinic and the dedication of our 788 WomenHeart Champions during the past 15 years, the WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium has resulted in strides in the fight against heart disease in women nationwide," said Mary McGowan, Chief Executive Officer, WomenHeart.

Minnesota Daily, University researchers identify target for potential Alzheimer's treatments by Melissa Steinken — “A treatment is absolutely possible,” said Dr. David Knopman, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic. “That being said, doing that is extremely difficult but it can be done and this provides a way to move forward.” Alzheimer’s causes memory loss and becomes common after age 65. It can ruin peoples’ ability to care for themselves and creates high societal costs, Knopman said.

Healio, Facts, not fear, should guide decisions about contralateral prophylactic mastectomy — The statement — which summarizes key data and offers guidelines about appropriateness of prophylactic surgery — provides a framework for clinician–patient discussion, according to Judy C. Boughey, MD, FACS, professor of surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and the

Golf Digest, Golfers Aren't The Only Ones Afflicted — Golf's governing bodies ought to support yips research—as the Mayo Clinic has done, several times—because the game is harmed when lifelong players give up in despair. But the USGA and the R&A have actually done the opposite, and have further stigmatized sufferers, by banning what Keyes described to me in an email as "one of the few proven (and mildly effective) treatments"

Naples Daily News, Workplace wellness programs not a big hit with employees by Liz Freeman — Workforce wellness programs offered by businesses are here to stay even though employee buy-in is sketchy and their participation is based on financial incentives, according to an industry leader from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. “They don’t have a favorable view of wellness plans,” Josiah Pritchard, a Mayo Clinic administrator, said Monday to an audience of lifestyle medicine professionals at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. “They are going to participate because you are giving them money.”

KQED Science, Has Technology Ruined the Radiology Profession? by Bob Wachter — Patrick Luetmer, a Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist, described what happened when his MRI suite was remodeled. The suite was originally configured with two MRI “donuts” (the huge magnets that are responsible for the image) on either side of a central workstation in which Luetmer sat. There, he could monitor the scans as they were being performed, and talk to both the patients and the radiology assistants. Clinicians sometimes wandered down to look at the scans with him. A few years ago, as part of a big efficiency push, Mayo decided that a third MRI machine was a better use of that central area than the radiologist’s air traffic control desk. Luetmer’s workstation was moved to an office a few hundred feet away, where he could follow the scans on his computer monitor and communicate with the techs via a special text messaging system. “One day I tried to see if I could go the whole day without speaking to anyone. And that’s what happened—I didn’t speak to a single person. It was incredibly isolating.”

Bangor Daily News, How the tiny zebrafish helped a Bar Harbor scientist get us one step closer to effective treatments for a painful nerve disorder — peripheral neuropathy by Diane Atwood — Peripheral neuropathy is usually associated with diabetes, but it’s also a common side effect of some chemotherapy drugs. Sandra Rieger, Ph.D., a scientist at the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, recently discovered where and how neuropathy begins when someone is on chemotherapy. It’s an important finding because ultimately it should lead to some effective treatment… “When I first started my collaboration with Mayo Clinic, I thought we can do it within one year, two years,” she said. “I realized there are a lot of regulations that play into this, even just to do the human analysis has to be approved. It’s very time consuming to do the regulatory part of it and then collecting the samples, I would say at least five years, maybe more.”

CBS8 San Diego, Baby Born With Heart Outside Chest Now Doing Well, Despite Grim Outlook by Johanna Li — Doctors originally did not believe little Kiernan, who is now 18 months old and doing well, would make it after they realized she would be born with her heart growing outside of her chest… To give their baby the best chance, they traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where doctors prepared for surgery by using fetal MRI images to create a 3D model of Kiernan, including what she would look like when she was born and where her organs would be located, for the first time in medical history. When she became old enough to go home — located more than 500 miles from the hospital — the Mayo Clinic arranged a private plane to fly her and all her medical equipment to North Dakota.

Anesthesiology News, Complications Rare After Continuous Posterior Lumbar Plexus Blockade for THA — In the largest single-center database study on the topic to date, a Mayo Clinic research team has found that catheter-related infections and hemorrhagic and neurologic complications after continuous posterior lumbar plexus blockade for total hip arthroplasty (THA) are rare. “This study was actually prompted by an audience question posed to a speaker in our department during a previous ASRA [American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine] meeting,” said Adam Jacob, MD, associate professor of anesthesiology at the Rochester, Minn., institution.

Twin Cities Business, MN Hospitals Match Or Beat National Averages Of Quality Care Measures by Sam Schaust — Figures released on Tuesday by MN Community Measurement show Minnesota hospitals had average or above average performance compared to hospitals around the nation when treating heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia. In all three cases, the Minneapolis-based health care data nonprofit said that Mayo Clinic in Rochester had the lowest mortality rate in the state. Mayo’s rate for heart attack was 11.6 percent, for heart failure it was 9.4 percent, and for pneumonia it was 12.3 percent.

KIMT, Mosaic installed 50 years ago uncovered in lobby of Methodist Hospital by DeeDee Stiepan — In 1966 a mosaic mural was installed and then dedicated in Mayo Clinic’s Methodist Hospital. It was on display for many years, but when the lobby had to be remodeled, a protective wall was built around the artwork to preserve it and it hasn’t been seen in years. Now, 50 years later, part of that mural is being uncovered.. The Director of Heritage Hall, the Museum at Mayo Clinic, Matthew Dacy it was uncovered celebrate the 50th anniversary of it first being dedicated.

National Pain Report, 14 Tips for Less Painful Mammograms by Donna Gregory Burch — Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be worthwhile to figure out if there’s anything women with fibromyalgia (or other pain conditions) can do to minimize the discomfort of mammography. I reach out to several breast imaging experts across the country and asked them to share their tips for less painful mammograms. Here’s their best advice..."If you’re pre-menopausal, don’t schedule your mammogram right before or during your menstrual cycle. “That’s when breasts are really tender already from the hormonal changes that occur before you’re about to menstruate,” said Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, associate professor of general internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “We tell them to wait 7-14 days [after the start of menstruation] when the hormonal changes are the least likely to bother you.”

Hospitals & Health Networks, Experts Take on the Big Picture of Value-Based Payment by Brian Frankie — Value-based payment is coming to health care. And its complications are something we have to understand. That was the message of panelists Wednesday during a session at the H&HN Executive Forum in Chicago on value-based payment and purchasing and what can make it successful…Much of the discussion, led by moderator Robert Nesse, M.D., senior medical adviser for payment reform to the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and former Mayo Clinic Health System CEO, focused on leveraging data to track value.

MPR, Development, money and tension dominate Rochester council races by Catharine Richert — For instance, records show that the adult children of local real estate mogul Javon Bea have contributed a total of $2,600 to Bilderback and others. Both children live near the Twin Cities, and declined to elaborate on their donations. But in a meeting this week, their father made it clear that patients coming to Mayo Clinic are his top priority — not local residents. According to a recording provided by the Rochester Post Bulletin, Bea said he's not interested in catering to "the yuppies that are living on the outskirts of Rochester." "What keeps this town more than just a dumpy little Midwestern town of 110,000 are the patients and the people that come with the patients to Mayo Clinic," he said. The stakes are drawing large political contributions from well beyond Rochester.

Post-Bulletin, $3 million deal clears way for Discovery Square apartments — When McCormack presented to CUDE, the possible project was called Lofts on Third. Now, the Vinars have purchased the land with a corporation called Residence at Discovery Square. Does that mean the development is taking on the name of the nearby Destination Medical Center's subdistrict, Discovery Square? "Not necessarily," Vinar said. "The name is up in the air." Discovery Square is expected to cover about a six-block area including First, Second, Third and Fourth avenues. One of six subdistricts in Mayo Clinic's DMC initiative, Discovery Square is described as the hub for biomedicine, research and technology innovation. It is expected to house a variety of research firms working with Mayo Clinic. Work on it is expected to start next fall.

State Press, We need to stop sweeping ASU’s premedical program under the rug by Gabby Hirneise — Although ASU does not have a graduate medical school like UA, its biological sciences undergraduate program offers more than adequate preparation for medical school and a career in medicine. In fact, ASU’s Barrett, the Honors College has been working closely with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale and Phoenix to prepare undergraduate students for careers in medicine.  With the opening of the Mayo Clinic medical school at the Scottsdale and Phoenix campuses, this comes as no surprise. One could say that with this close collaboration, the Mayo Clinic is tailoring these undergraduate pre-health students to fit the standards of this new school.

MSN Canada, 6 Ways Your Desk Job Is Killing Your Body — The Mayo Clinic links sitting for long periods of time with obesity and metabolic disorders like high cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. Those conditions come with their own sets of dangers, such as cardiovascular disease. “The muscle activity needed for standing and other movement seems to trigger important processes related to the breakdown of fats and sugars within the body,” the article says. “When you sit, these processes stall — and your health risks increase. When you're standing or actively moving, you kick the processes back into action.”

Live Science, 10 Interesting Facts About Caffeine by Cari Nierenberg — The Food and Drug Administration considers 400 milligrams a safe amount of caffeine for healthy adults to consume daily. However, pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg a day, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (One cup of coffee usually has about 100 to 200 mg, a cup of tea usually has no more than 70 mg and most sodas have less than 50 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic.) The Mayo Clinic suggests that teens limit their caffeine intake to 100 mg a day and recommends that younger children avoid caffeine.

El Mercurio, Mayo: cómo funciona la clínica que nació hace más de 100 años, que paga salario fijo a sus médicos y donde no existen las " prima donna " — "El año 2015 atendimos a 1,3 millones de pacientes en nuestros tres centros -Rochester, Arizona y Florida- provenientes de los 50 estados y de más de 140 países. Tenemos 66 mil empleados -de los cuales 4.600 son médicos e investigadores- y todos los ingresos que generamos los reinvertimos en darles a nuestros pacientes una mejor calidad de cuidados", explica el doctor Gianrico Farrugia, vicepresidente de la institución y CEO de la Clínica Mayo en Jacksonville.

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