Reuters, Doctors don't always explain sexual side effects of prostate treatments — “Patients didn’t previously have choices about their treatments and accepted the side effects,” said Dr. Tobias Kohler of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasn’t involved in the study. “But now, we’re seeing minimally invasive treatments that offer excellent improvement and low risk of sexual side effects,” Kohler said in a telephone interview. “Now the conversation needs to be whether patients should take a pill or treat the problem definitively and prevent the progression of bladder dysfunction,” Kohler said.

Forbes, CABANA: No Outcomes Benefit In First Big Trial Of AF Ablation by Larry Husten — The Catheter ABlation vs ANtiarrhythmic Drug Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation (CABANA) trial, sponsored by the NIH with additional support from industry (including St. Jude Medical, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, and Boston Scientific), randomized 2,204 patients with AF to catheter ablation or drug therapy. The results were presented by Douglas Packer (Mayo Clinic) at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in Boston on Thursday...Packer sought solace in positive findings from some secondary analyses of the trial. One secondary outcome, the rate of death or CV hospitalization, was significantly reduced from 58.1% to 51.7% (HR0.83, CI 0.74-0.93, p=0.001).  Additional coverage: Medscape, MedPage Today, Healio

CNBC, Artificial intelligence could help diagnose a deadly heart condition by Angelica LaVito — AliveCor, a medical device start-up, and Mayo Clinic used artificial intelligence to identify LQTS in patients whose EKG results appear normal. Their findings from a study, published in an abstract Thursday at the Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions conference, found the technology accurately diagnoses the genetic condition 79 percent of the time..."I will submit that when the QT interval is caught in our patients early. This will be a life-saving modifier that we will have come upon," said Dr. Michael Ackerman, Abrielle's doctor and director of Mayo Clinic's Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic and the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory.

NBC News, How training doctors in implicit bias could save the lives of black mothers by Elizabeth Chuck — With the statistics particularly dire for black women, those in medicine are taking an introspective look for a solution. One approach that is gaining steam in hospitals and medical schools is training providers on implicit bias — the deeply ingrained stereotypes that everyone has. From the Mayo Clinic to Kaiser Permanente to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, leaders in medicine are increasingly urging doctors to recognize their own bias so they can combat it…The Mayo medical schools in Arizona and Rochester, Minn., recently started offering training for their students. All first-years entering in the fall will read “Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People,” a book that examines perceptions of social groups written by the two psychology professors who co-created the Implicit Association Test.

US News & World Report, Here's Why People Are Donating Their Poop to Science by Anna Medaris Miller — The condition, which can cause debilitating diarrhea and other potentially life-threatening complications, is highly treatable with a fecal microbiota transplant, or FMT. The procedure is typically done via colonoscopy and results in the patient hosting someone else's fecal matter – and thus healthy gut bacteria – in his or her colon, explains says Dr. John DiBaise, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. While invasive, it's a very safe procedure when administered in health care facilities with appropriately-screened donors, he says.

US News & World Report, 10 Strategies for Coping With Loss of Libido and Other Menopause Symptoms by Ruben Castaneda — Menopause, which marks the end of women's menstrual cycles, can produce a raft of unpleasant symptoms. It's diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual cycle, according to the Mayo Clinic. Menopause can happen to women in their 40s and 50s; in the U.S., women experience menopause at an average age of 51, according to the Mayo Clinic.

US News & World Report, Researchers Blame Climate Change for Severe Allergy Season by Alexa Lardieri — Many different allergens can trigger reactions, including pollen, grass, weeds and blooming trees. People who suffer from seasonal allergies, also called hay fever and allergic rhinitis, experience sneezing, congestion, runny nose and watery eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

US News & World Report, Women Physicians Face Extra Challenges by Lisa Esposito — Dr. Erin O'Brien is an assistant professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she specializes in sinus surgery. In 2007, she was the first resident in her training program to have a baby. Only allowed to miss six weeks of any academic year, and with her upcoming fellowship – optional, additional specialty training after a residency – arranged and about to begin, O'Brien somehow stayed on schedule. Six weeks after having a cesarean section, she was back on her feet in the operating room... "There were times when we had a long case and I would just say, 'I have to go pump right now,'" she says. Women physicians in similar situations strive to do the best they can, she adds.

Washington Post, Between cancer treatments at the Mayo Clinic, Caps fan flies home to attend Game 3 by Scott Allen — Jenny Bradshaw DeFalco had originally planned to travel to Minnesota this week to spend time with her best friend, Amanda Kraus Wilson, whose family relocated to Rochester from Virginia in March after she was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer. But with the Capitals in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 20 years and Wilson between treatments at the Mayo Clinic, DeFalco recently proposed a different idea. If she was feeling up for it, and if her doctors gave their approval, what if Wilson instead flew back to D.C. for a few days to see her beloved Capitals play in person?

Washington Post, Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergies. New therapies might help. by Amber Dance — Peanuts are legumes, and on the genetic level, their allergenic proteins appear similar to proteins found in other legumes and plants. Ara h 1 is quite similar to a seed-storage protein found in peas and lentils, for example. Ara h 2 resembles a seed-storage protein in legumes, almonds and sesame seeds…Scientists from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found Ara h 2 on restaurant tables, library tables and the counter of frozen yogurt shops. It also showed up on the tray tables of airplanes, even when peanuts were not served.

Sports Illustrated, Matt Millen Fights For His Life: ‘It’s Getting Late. We Need a Big Stop’ by Peter King — The first doctor visit was 2012. Multiple heart tests followed, and tests for severe acid reflux, and for lyme disease. Nothing. He passed a kidney stone in 2015, got a non-malignant tumor removed from his chest a year later, and still nothing. Finally, a team physician for the Eagles, a sleuth named Gary Dorshimer, sent him to the Mayo Clinic. This time he’d stay till they found out what it was. Millen went to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, to a doctor named Gary Lee. Additional coverage: CBS Sports, WDIV Detroit

New York Times, Iowa baby struck by softball may have suffered brain damage — Doctors say an infant may have suffered brain damage when struck by an overthrown softball at her father’s game in northeastern Iowa. Mayo Clinic physicians in Rochester have been balancing various medications as they treat 8-week-old McKenna Hovenga, whose skull was fractured. She was struck while in the arms of her mother, Kassy, on May 2 in Shell Rock, some 95 miles northeast of Des Moines. Additional coverage: Des Moines Register, KARE 11, Pioneer Press, ABC News, KTTC, Star Tribune, FOX News, WCCO

CNN, US stillbirths and newborn deaths down 11.5%, study says by Mark Lieber — Risk factors for preterm delivery include a mother's history of preterm birth; problems of the uterus, cervix or placenta; smoking or use of illicit drugs during pregnancy; chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes; some infections; stressful life events; and physical injury or trauma, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The Atlantic, The Burnout Crisis in American Medicine by Rena Xu — A survey of nearly 7,000 U.S. physicians, published last year in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reported that one in 50 planned to leave medicine altogether in the next two years, while one in five planned to reduce clinical hours over the next year. Physicians who self-identified as burned out were more likely to follow through on their plans to quit.

Chicago Tribune, 4 common mistakes keeping you from a good night's sleep — Do you wake up in the morning feeling tired, even if you went to bed early? Do you struggle to feel well rested? Is it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep all night? You're not alone. Healthy adults generally need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, although sleep quality is just as important as sleep quantity. If your sleep is frequently interrupted, you're not getting quality sleep. This can have a tremendous effect on your mental and physical health. To get a good night's rest, there are many things that often get overlooked. Mayo Clinic health experts weigh in on four of the most common mistakes that keep people from a good night's rest. Additional coverage: Columbia Daily Tribune

Post-Bulletin, This is no time to quit on QUITPLAN — Through my work as medical director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, I see signs of hope every day -- when people tell me how long it’s been since their last cigarette, how they’re breathing easier and have more energy, how they can now get through the workday without thinking about a smoke. Their eyes light up when they talk about spending quality time with their children or grandchildren, exercising for the first time in years, or just plain feeling better. It’s the best part of my job. All Minnesota tobacco users deserve access to free help quitting. Currently, they do have access. QUITPLAN Services is a program run by the nonprofit, ClearWay Minnesota. — Taylor Hays, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic internist who specializes in helping patients with nicotine dependence.

Post-Bulletin, Our View: Biotech investors need reasons to look at Rochester — Has the investment community "bought into" Destination Medical Center? Not the hotel investment community -- we know hotel developers think DMC is the greatest thing since cell division -- but the venture capitalists and banks that provide money for biotech startups, such as Vyriad. Rochester-based Vyriad, which has been nurtured so far by the Mayo business incubator downtown, announced last week that it's ready to build out a $9 million headquarters, research and manufacturing plant at the Rochester Technology Campus, the former IBM Rochester site.

Post-Bulletin, Answer Man: It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Mayo Four? — The other day I watched a medical helicopter attempt to land at Saint Marys Hospital. I could see two helicopters on the pad. But I’m not sure, there might have been more. The one that wanted to land hovered for maybe a minute, then circled a couple of times until one on the pad took off. How many helicopters can be on the pad at one time? How often does it happen that the pad is full, and one needs to leave before another can land?... So what’s the story? Here are some quick facts about Mayo One operations from the Clinic’s public affairs office (which also happens to know a thing or two about helicopters). Mayo One is really Mayo Four. The clinic has four helicopters. Three serve as primary response aircraft, with bases in Rochester, Mankato and Eau Claire, Wis. The fourth serves as a back-up to all bases.

Post-Bulletin, New play looks at Mayo, music and Rochester by Tom Weber — The debut of a new readers theater play about the connections between Rochester, Mayo Clinic and the arts, was presented Wednesday at the Plummer House. "In the Air on the Edge of Nowhere," written by Carolyn Stickney Beck, was produced for an invited audience by the Rochester Symphony Orchestra. Beck, a Rochester native, returned to the city after living in Philadelphia, Chicago and elsewhere for several years, and found herself fascinated with the community's history.

Post-Bulletin, VIDEO: Dr. Elvis Francois sings for National Nurse’s Week — Elvis Francois, an orthopedic surgery resident in his third year, grew up singing in church choirs and a cappella groups. Now he spends his time training at Mayo Clinic and occasionally posting videos of himself singing around the hospital.

KAAL, Epic's Economic Impact on Rochester by Noelle Anderson — Over the past few weeks, we've been telling you a whole lot about Mayo Clinic's Epic Software transition. If you've taken a walk through the streets of downtown Rochester, it's easy to see there are a lot of people in town for this software transition. Even though Mayo officially went live with the software update about a week ago, many people who helped with the training will be sticking around to make sure things are continuing as smoothly as possible. “This is a really good test for our city, to see how we can host this number of people on top of our normal business level,” said Brad Jones, Executive Director of Experience Minnesota's Rochester.

KTTC, A few days after Epic Systems roll-out, everything going as planned by Francisco Almenara-Dumur — After months of training and uncertainty going into the transition, now everyone knows what they're dealing with. "It's only been about three or four days so we're cautiously optimistic," Dr. Peters said. "But so far things have gone as well, and even perhaps a little better than expected." Hundreds of people are working 24/7 at Mayo Clinic's Core Command Center and are like a macro help desk, answering people's Epic related questions. Even though there are few glitches to the system, most of the hurdles so far involve the human element.

KTTC, Mayo Clinic unveils new Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Unit, open house set for Saturday by Erin O’Brien — People wanting to start a family one day or get help with fertility treatments will now have a one stop shop of sorts for care at Mayo Clinic.  Doctors unveiled the hospital's new Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility unit in the Eisenberg Building Thursday.  The unit brings together its procedural and exam rooms, and academic offices all into one space. Additional coverage: FOX 47, KIMT

KTTC, Biotech firm buys in to Rochester Technology Campus — A Rochester biotech firm named Vyriad is launching a $9 million project to build a manufacturing unit at the former IBM campus in northwest Rochester. The company plans to manufacture clinical-stage oncolytic virus therapies to use fighting cancer. With the support of Mayo Clinic, Vyriad President and CEO Stephen Russell says his firm is "taking a giant leap forward" to deliver its unique anti-cancer virus therapies to patients. Additional coverage: Med City Beat, KIMT, Post-Bulletin

KIMT, Big gift for Mayo in Albert Lea by Mike Bunge — Naeve Health Care Foundation is announcing a $215,000 gift to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea…“These gifts given by the Foundation will enhance outpatient services that are offered by Mayo Clinic Health System and will promote state of the art programs for our patients,” says board member Diane Clark. Naeve Health Care Foundation is a non-profit group that has supported health care in Albert Lea for 55 years.

KIMT, Stroke Survivor Shares His Story to Help Others by Annalisa Pardo — A few weeks after having a stroke, Bruce Schmoll is sharing his story to help others. March 22nd started off as a typical day for him. “I was getting up early, getting ready for the day and I grabbed my electric razor and began to shave,” he said. That’s when the razor fell out of his hand. “I reached down to pick it up and I couldn't close my hand. It wasn't working and I go, ‘this is odd,’” he said.

KIMT, Family of Infant Hit by Softball ‘Deeply Moved’ by Support, Taking things ‘Hour by Hour’ — The family of a baby who suffered injuries after being hit by a softball said Monday that “we are uncertain what the outcome of this will be.” Kassy and Lee Hovenga released a statement Monday amid an outpouring of support after McKenna Hovenga, 8 weeks old, was hit by a softball while in her mother’s arms during a game May 2 in Shell Rock. “The kindness and love shown to our family this past week is greatly appreciated as we continue to hope and pray for healing for McKenna. We are so thankful and deeply moved by the generous support and the uplifting messages that we are receiving from friends, family and those we do not know, but now consider our friends,” the family said.

WCCO, 7-Week-Old Baby Struck In Head By Softball Recovering At Mayo Clinic — A 7-week-old baby is recovering at the Mayo Clinic after a softball hit her in the head. Doctors have her on a feeding tube as they work to stabilize her seizures. On Tuesday, McKenna had her first seizure in more than four days. Additional coverage: KARE 11, USA Today, Arizona Republic, FOX News, Des Moines Register

Star Tribune, Fairview plans $111 million renovation at University of Minnesota hospital by Christopher Snowbeck — In the past 18 months, two other large hospitals in the state have announced big construction projects. In February, Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis said it would spend $29.2 million for an inpatient unit that provides neuroscience treatments. In March 2017, Mayo Clinic announced plans to spend $217 million at its St. Marys hospital campus — one of two facilities in Rochester that are operated as one hospital, with the biggest tally of staffed beds in Minnesota.

Star Tribune, Mayo Clinic News Network: How mindfulness meditation can benefit you — If you’ve heard about mindfulness — a form of meditation — you might be curious about how to practice it and how it might benefit you.

First Coast News, Grabbing that sweet tea could increase kidney stones by Lindsey Boetsch — Most of our foods are higher in salt, which can cause the urine to become concentrated, and then stones form. They're very painful and you have to wait for them to pass through urination. "The pain you get from a kidney stone is usually located in the abdomen. But as it courses down the urinal, or the tube to the bladder, people tend to feel the radiation to the groin. Or, having to urinate more frequently. They may see blood in their urine and the pain may come in waves," said Dr. Ivan Porter, Mayo Clinic nephrologist.

First Coast News, Strokes increasing in younger patients by Lindsey Boetsch — You have a headache...it's not going away... but you carry on. Then, all of the sudden, your hand goes numb, your face starts to drop, your speech is slurred. Could you be having a stroke? This happened to Urvashi Patel last September. She's in her 40's…She immediately went to the Stroke Center at the Mayo Clinic. She says her coworker's wife had a stroke in her late 30s. She knew it wasn't unheard of, just unusual. "There are more unique things in the younger population like some genetic or inborn disorders that can lead to stroke," Dr. Brown, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic, said. Brown said carotid dissection happens more in the younger population.

South Florida Reporter, What are NSAIDs? (Video) — When searching for over-the-counter pain relief, you’ve probably taken an NSAID medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. But what kind of pain does an NSAID treat best and are there risks of side effects? Jason Howland has more in this Mayo Clinic Minute.

Florida Times-Union, I Do, I Do: Romance blooms from mother’s tragedy by Robyn Brody — Bunny Leach was a stay-at-home mom, married with two children. Bunny’s life took a tragic turn when her teenage daughter, Nicki, a student at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Then, Bunny’s husband filed for divorce and Bunny was on her own to care for their daughter. It might have been fate that Nicki’s doctors recommended she seek treatment from Kurt Jaeckle, a neuro-oncologist at Mayo Clinic. Jaeckle did all he could, but Nicki passed away at age 19, not able to make it through her freshman year of college at The University of North Florida…Seven years passed, it was now 2012, and Bunny was asked to speak at a fundraiser set up by the family of another Mayo clinic patient. There was one other guest speaker — none other than Nicki’s doctor, Kurt Jaeckle.

ActionNewsJax, Jacksonville doctors want your help with a cancer vaccine trial by Brittney Donovan — Doctors at Mayo Clinic are working on a vaccine that aims to prevent breast cancer from recurring in survivors. Dr. Saranya Chumsri, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, said trials will soon begin on vaccines targeting two types of breast cancer with aggressive recurrence rates. “Even despite getting chemotherapy and surgery and radiation, still significant number of patients have recurrence later on,” Chumsri said.

ActionNewsJax, Action News Jax Investigates: New technology helping doctors diagnose strokes in women quicker by Letisha Bereola — Alyssa Duane, 28, stayed at home from work with a headache and the next day her health took a major turn…Alyssa was rushed to the hospital but a diagnosis took time. It’s precious time when an estimated 1.9 million neurons die every minute during a stroke. It’s the reason Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic partnered with NLP Logix to develop a way to speed up the diagnosis. It was one the most serious forms of stroke called intracerebral hemorrhage, or ICH. "A person with an ICH will have that CAT scan analyzed by the machinery and outputs specific treatment interventions for better outcome,” said Dr. David Freeman.

My Panhandle, Local Woman's Kidney Transplant Saves Multiple Lives by Erin Morgan — …"I had gone many years not knowing, and had done damage to my kidneys," Liz said. "So two years ago I found out that I would need to go on dialysis and would need to go on the transplant list." Unfortunately, Marcia was not a match for Liz, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. Together they joined Mayo Clinic's pair donation program, where Marcia could donate her kidney to someone else, and Liz could find her match. Pell said this helped them save two lives at once.

Florida Times-Union, New procedure center gives Mayo caregivers chance to train using cadavers by Charlie Patton — When the 9,600-square-foot J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Simulation Center opened in 2013 on the Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus, most of the training physicians and other caregivers received would involve working with mannequins or with standardized patients, employees who would simulate various medical conditions. But it wasn’t an idea situation, said Amy Lannen, operations specialist with the simulation center. The space was too small and the simulation center lacked storage space for cadavers. Now that situation has been rectified. A 2,800-square-foot procedural skills lab has opened on the same floor as the simulation center with space for microvascular surgical training, a gross anatomy teaching laboratory, a cadaver preparation facility and a room to clean and store surgical instruments and equipment.

ActionNewsJax, Jacksonville doctors want your help with a cancer vaccine trial by Brittney Donovan — Doctors at Mayo Clinic are working on a vaccine that aims to prevent breast cancer from recurring in survivors. Dr. Saranya Chumsri, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, said trials will soon begin on vaccines targeting two types of breast cancer with aggressive recurrence rates. “Even despite getting chemotherapy and surgery and radiation, still significant number of patients have recurrence later on,” Chumsri said.

Florida Times-Union, Health Notes: Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville makes another best hospital list by Charlie Patton — Mayo Clinic’s hospital in Jacksonville was listed on IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals annual study identifying top performing hospitals in the U.S. based on overall organizational performance. Formerly known as the Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals, the study spotlights the best performing hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction data. It has been conducted annually since 1993. Mayo Clinic is the only hospital in Northeast Florida and one of six in Florida to make the list.

First Coast News, Melanoma survivor: Just checking your skin goes a long way by Juliette Dryer — More than 91,000 new melanomas will be diagnosed in 2018, according to the American Cancer Society. One Nocatee woman never expected to be one of them. “I’ve been running for many years,” Cynthia Ryan said. “I’ve done 30 marathons, so I spend a lot of time outside.”… “We live in Florida, beautiful sun but we have to realize what it can do,” said Dr. Scott Fosko, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic who treated Ryan. Thanks to early detection, Ryan’s melanoma didn’t spread.

Red Wing Republican Eagle, MCHS Lake City expanding emergency room — Construction to expand and remodel the Emergency Department at Mayo Clinic Health System is scheduled to begin in the coming months and will be managed by Weis Builders of Rochester. The $1.1 million investment will improve the overall patient experience and enhance patient and staff safety. Weis Builders, which built the Lake City facility in 1999, has continued to be involved in numerous projects in the ensuing year. 17 years. MCHS officials noted that the experienced team that is not only familiar with the Lake City site and staff but with the community as well.

Waseca County News, Mayo nutiritionist news: An introduction to probiotics by Allie Wergin — Recently, there’s been a lot of conversation in the media about probiotics. As a nutritionist, I often answer questions from patients looking to know more about probiotics and their publicized health benefits. While medical science works to further understand the role the human microbiome plays in our daily health, there are a few questions we can shed some light on to help you gain a better understanding of probiotics. — Allie Wergin is a Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague registered dietitian nutritionist.

Austin Daily Herald, Mayo Clinic gives to patriot group — Dr. Mark Ciota, CEO Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin and Albert Lea, presents a $1,000 check to Nation of Patriots volunteer Duane Thomas of the Albert Lea Riders for the 2018 Patriot Tour. MCHS has been a continuous supporter of the Patriot Tour. Each year, Nation of Patriots organizes a national effort that pays tribute to and honors all of America ‘s armed forces — past, present and fallen.

Austin Daily Herald, ‘I’m Ready’; Riverland grads, Mayo employees, start new careers by Deb Nicklay — Many of Riverland Community College’s graduates today will embark on new careers in new places. However, three of the nursing graduates will be staying right where they are – although their name tags will say something new. All are RN nursing graduates who have been Mayo Clinic Health System employees for some time. All said they were inspired to become nurses through their positions — and the people they observed — at Mayo.

WEAU Eau Claire, Kid friendly recipes — Lot of parents and grandparents like to encourage children to help with cooking, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start. With Memorial Day is fast approaching, Katie Johnson Health Educator, Mayo Clinic Health System has recipe ideas that can be easily prepared, and easily gobbled down, by kids.

WKBT La Crosse, New recommendations for prostate screenings — A U.S. task force is changing their recommendations regarding prostate cancer screenings.

WKBT La Crosse, Sports gambling decision has local behavioral health experts concerned by Jordan Fremstad —The U.S. Supreme Court is paving the way for sports betting to take place around the country. Clinical therapist Eddie Luker said there are a variety of problems with this ruling. "It's really going to open up the floodgates now," Luker said. "It has ramifications for every state."  Even though the state of Wisconsin has not supported any sports gambling in the past, Luker said now there is no law to prevent it.  "The more accessible gambling is, the higher rates of problem gambling we see," he said. Additional coverage: WIZM 1410

WKBT La Crosse, Youth ambassador, button design winner revealed for annual Dragon Boat festival by Troy Neumann — This year's Youth Ambassador to the annual Big Blue Dragon Boat festival is revealed. Vanessa Smith will represent the Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse at this year's events. The 17-year-old high school junior has been with the Boys & Girls Club for 6 years, and says she's always enjoyed the Dragon Boat festival…This year's festival is on July 21. Money raised through the event will go toward healthy living programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs, and Mayo Clinic Health System's Center for Breast Care. Additional coverage: La Crosse Tribune

WKBT La Crosse, Opioid prescriptions decline by 10 percent in Wisconsin by Mal Meyer — A new report shows a 10 percent drop in the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed over the past year in the state of Wisconsin. Providers say there are many reasons why there’s a decline in prescriptions and they hope to build upon this progress. There’s been a lot of change since Dr. Cheri Olson started practicing medicine nearly 30 years ago. “When I first went through training we never prescribed opioids,” said Olson, a family physician for Mayo Clinic Health System.

La Crosse Tribune, Single mom, UW-La Crosse graduate beats odds to become statistician by Chris Hubbuch — A tattoo wrapped around Leah Voit-Osticki’s right biceps tells the story of her life. There’s an image of her inside an hourglass, meant to represent the time she spent trapped in addiction and jail, “always feeling like I’m running out of time and I’m stuck.” There’s the date in 2014 when she stopped using heroin. And nine months later when her son was born…Last summer she was hired as a biostatics intern at Mayo Clinic, where she is helping Dr. Charles Watts research new treatments for Alzheimer's and brain tumors. Watts said Voit-Ostricki has done well, especially for someone without a chemistry background.

WKBT La Crosse, Local hospital receives large coloring book, crayon donation by Deb Brazil — Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare received a donation of hundreds of coloring books and crayons packaged for children patients or visitors. Each year Todd and Jennifer Wiedenhaft raise money to supply the local hospitals with coloring books and crayon packets in honor of Riah's Rainbow. “We hope it will bring some comfort to children during their hospital stay,” said Todd.

WXOW La Crosse, Expecting La Crosse mom receives a special Mother's Day gift by Peter Lenz — One expecting mom in La Crosse received a special type of Mother's Day present on Sunday. Julia Murphy gave birth to her son Jayden on the morning of Mother's Day, just in time for the holiday. Just weeks into Julia's pregnancy Jayden's due date was scheduled for May 13, but after initially going into labor on Thursday Julia was not expecting the holiday arrival.’

WXOW La Crosse, Jake Knutson Fundraiser encourages organ donation by Peter Lenz — July, 2017 18-year-old Jake Knutson learned his kidneys were failing after going to the hospital for a jaw injury. This February his sister Kaylen donated one of her kidneys, saving his life while creating a life-long bond. On Saturday the Knutson family held a fundraiser in Hokah to help with medical expenses. The community rallied to support the young man that never let the situation get the best of him.

Wisconsin State Journal, Verona's Epic Systems flips the switch on a massive electronic records switch for Mayo Clinic by Judy Newman — It’s been a big week for Epic Systems Corp. — even by the huge Verona company’s own standards. Last weekend, Epic’s electronic health system software for Mayo Clinic’s Rochester, Minnesota, headquarters went live, completing a massive overhaul of nearly all of Mayo’s computerized systems, from patient registration and medical records to revenue and billing. It is believed to be one of the biggest Epic implementations, with an estimated price of $1.5 billion over 10 years — though that figure covers more than just the Epic software.

Wisconsin Radio Network, Epic Systems completes major project with Mayo Clinic by Raymond Neupert — A big project is in the books for Epic Systems in Verona. Epic Systems says they’ve completed a project to integrate the headquarters of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota into their medical database program. The changeover adds over 26,000 Mayo Clinic employees and brings the total number of Mayo patients in the Epic system to over 8 million.

EHR Intelligence, Mayo Clinic Epic EHR Implementation Launch Running Smoothly by Kate Monica — The recent Epic EHR implementation go-live at Mayo Clinic is so far running smoothly, Mayo Clinic clinicians told KTTC. The EHR system go-live at the health system’s Rochester, Minnesota care sites went live on May 5. Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus is the third to launch the Epic EHR, following previous go-lives at facilities in southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. The $1.5 billion modernization project was necessary, according to Mayo Clinic providers. Before going live with Epic, the health system stored health records on separate systems by vendors including Cerner and GE.

Clinical Oncology News, More Chemo Switching Suggested for PDAC — Switching chemotherapy in patients with borderline or locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) improved outcomes in a retrospective study conducted at Mayo Clinic. Patients who did not respond to first-line therapy had substitutions that ultimately were beneficial to a majority, according to the researchers. “More than half of these patients subsequently showed response that allowed proceeding to curative-intent surgical resection,” said lead study author Lavanya Yohanathan, MD, a hepatobiliary surgery fellow at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. “There is no obvious oncologic detriment to recurrence or survival outcomes with therapeutic switch.”

Radiology Business, Structured reporting drops revision rate by 50% for CT angiography exams by Nicholas Leider — “We believe structured reporting can benefit residents in terms of reinforcing concepts taught in the reading room,” wrote lead author Tucker F. Johnson, MD, and colleagues at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “Residents continually find themselves rotating among vastly different areas of radiology throughout their training. Templates can be useful educational tools in allowing residents to develop search patterns and also to remind them of critical pathologies specific to certain examinations. It is important, however, that structured reporting strikes the right balance between being helpful and not overly burdensome.”

SSTI, Mayo Clinic policy change spurs entrepreneurship in Southeastern Minnesota — A change in policy at the Mayo Clinic has “single-handedly sprouted a startup ecosystem in Rochester, as med-tech startups, accelerators, co-working spaces and a venture capital ecosystem have flourished in the area over the last half decade” according to new research by Maddy Kennedy of the The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Prior to 2013, Mayo researchers were able to form companies and receive a portion of royalties, but they were not allowed to hold leadership positions. This offered little incentive for faculty and researchers to venture outside their labs.

MobiHealthNews, Amazon rumored to start Alexa-focused 'health & wellness' team by Laura Lovett — Amazon’s Alexa is already being used in a number of healthcare-related ways. For example, back in September the company announced that basic health information and advice provided by the Mayo Clinic would be available on the Amazon Alexa. Users can download the Mayo Clinic First Aid skill on their device and then voice their concerns to the machine, which will give answers to dozens of everyday health issues or other self-care instructions.

Fierce Biotech, Mayo Clinic and AliveCor use AI to detect ‘invisible’ heart condition by Conor Hale — Investigators from the Mayo Clinic and AliveCor demonstrated that a trained artificial intelligence network can help identify people at increased risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death despite displaying a normal heart rhythm on their electrocardiogram. Up to half of patients with long QT syndrome can show a normal interval on a standard test, the personal EKG manufacturer AliveCor said in a statement. Correct diagnoses and treatment can be crucial, especially when using drugs that may prolong heartbeats. Additional coverage: MobiHealthNews

Bustle, What Is Thirdhand Smoke? It Can Have Serious Consequences For Your Health, A New Study Shows by Brandi Neal — New Scientist reported that a study conducted at the University of California, Riverside found that curtains, upholstery, and carpets exposed to longterm cigarette smoke had a negative effect on mice. According to the study, after just one month of exposure the mice had a 50 percent increase in inflammatory molecules in their blood and livers compared to the mice who were not exposed to the contaminated fabrics..."It’s important to note that a one-off or casual exposure is not going to have measurable impact on people," Dr. Taylor Hayes, who works in the Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic, told New Scientist.

Becker’s Hospital Review, 11 best hospitals and health systems for diversity by Megan Knowles — DiversityInc honored 11 hospitals and health systems across the U.S. for excelling in diversity management as part of its annual Top Hospitals and Health Systems list… Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)

SELF, The Surprising Reasons Why It's So Hard to Get Back Into Working Out After Pregnancy by Korin Miller — The Mayo Clinic recommends starting slowly and increasing your pace gradually (it can be as low impact as walking), making sure to take time for warm ups and cool downs. Take a break if you feel any pain. It's also crucial to make sure you get enough water and to wear supportive clothing to stay comfortable. Yes, these are good tips for working out at any point in your life, but they are especially important when starting or returning to your workouts after giving birth.

Allure, How to Tell If You Have Uterine Fibroids by Macaela MacKenzie — The lumps are surprisingly common; many women have them at some point during their lives but remain totally asymptomatic, according to the Mayo Clinic. Further making fibroids tricky, doctors don't know exactly what causes them, though the Mayo Clinic notes they may be linked to genetics and hormone changes.

Gulf Times, Ovarian cancer is hard to detect — “Ovarian cancer, thankfully, does respond really nicely to surgery and chemotherapy. But unfortunately, in roughly 70% of patients, we do see recurrence,” says Dr Andrea Wahner Hendrickson, a Mayo Clinic oncologist. But thanks to research by Wahner Hendrickson and her colleagues, patients now have additional - and sometimes more effective - options for treatment, including individualised medical therapy and immunotherapy. Currently there are more than 1,350 clinical trials for ovarian cancer, including a vaccine trial aimed at preventing recurrence.Since not all tumours respond to every treatment, Dr Wahner Hendrickson recommends all ovarian cancer patients undergo genetic testing to see which therapy might work best or them.

Alzforum, Do Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries Double the Risk of Dementia? — Two large epidemiological studies recently reported that even mild traumatic brain injuries bump up a person’s risk of developing neurodegenerative disease…Michelle Mielke at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, stressed the need to identify which characteristics, including genetic factors, demographics, and co-morbidities, interact with TBIs to place people at the greatest risk of dementia.

Radiology Business, Novel tech IDs false-positives in lung cancer screenings by Anicka Slachta — Technology out of Vanderbilt University and Mayo Clinic could be cutting false positive rates in CT-based lung cancer screenings, researchers announced in PLOS One this week. “As physicians, one of the most challenging problems in screening patients for lung cancer is that the vast majority of the detected pulmonary nodules are not cancer,” first author Tobias Peikert, MD, said in a release. “Even in individuals who are at high risk for lung cancer, up to 96 percent of nodules are not cancer.”

MedPage Today, Trial: Don't Wait for Pacing in Syncope with Bifascicular Block by Crystal Phend —The 2017 syncope guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the HRS do recommend an ECG when patients present with unexplained syncope…However, session discussant Win-Kuang Shen, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, cautioned that while the study could say these two practical strategies are both safe, it might not have been large enough to assess death or malignant arrhythmias.

MedPage Today, AD Link Between APOE, Tau Stronger in Women by Judy George — "We're coming to appreciate sex differences in Alzheimer's pathology may be a very important topic in the field," noted Ronald Petersen, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who was not involved in the study. "This study raises a lot of important hypotheses and starts to examine the mystery of sex differences in Alzheimer's disease more closely." Several factors may account for sex differences, he stated. "Clearly, there are hormonal ones," he told MedPage Today. "But men tend to die sooner, more likely of heart attacks and the like, so there might be a mediating mechanism of vascular disease. There's a combination of influences still needs to be unraveled."

MedPage Today, Fremanezumab Effective in Episodic Migraine by Judy George — From a baseline of about 9 headache days per month, monthly subcutaneous doses of fremanezumab led to 4.9 fewer mean monthly migraine days and a single higher dose led to 5.3 fewer mean monthly migraine days, according to David Dodick, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, and colleagues. These reductions were greater than the drop from 9.1 to 6.5 days in the placebo group, the team reported in JAMA.

Medscape, High Vitamin D Not Harmful, Whites Most Susceptible to Low Levels by Nancy Melville — High vitamin D levels that exceed recommended ranges — an increasingly common trend in the population — show no association with all-cause mortality, while the better-known risks of vitamin D deficiency appear notably stronger in whites than any other race or ethnicity, according to new research. "Given the rapid increase in the incidence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH]D) values greater than 50 ng/mL in the population, our finding is reassuring that all-cause mortality was not increased in this group," say Daniel V. Dudenkov, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues, in their study, published online May 2 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Healio, Heart disease risk in IBD tied to chronic inflammation — “These findings support the role of chronic inflammation in IBD-associated [cardiovascular disease, and] should prompt physicians to be vigilant for the development of these disorders,” according to the study authors, including Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease Chief Medical Editor Edward V. Loftus, Jr., MD, of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Loftus and colleagues undertook this population-based cohort study because the data on whether IBD increases the risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF) are unclear. They estimated the risks for these cardiovascular conditions by reviewing data on 736 patients diagnosed with IBD in Olmstead County, Minn., between 1980 and 2010, and matching them to 1,472 controls without IBD.

Medical Design & Outsourcing, Minnesota 2.0: Can this major U.S. medical device cluster become a healthcare innovation hub? by Chris Newmarker — News came out in March that Boston Scientific joined Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota in backing startup accelerator Gener8tor and its medtech-focused Twin Cities accelerator called gBETA Medtech. Next to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, work is underway on developer Mortenson’s 90,000-square-foot One Discovery Square, slated to open for occupancy next year. The biotech research, collaboration and innovation space is meant to provide companies both large and small the ability to locate close to Mayo Clinic, which will occupy a third of the building. The Mayo Clinic anchor tenants will include advanced radiologic technology, advanced laboratory diagnostic medicine and regenerative medicine, according to Dr. Clark Otley, medical director of the Dept. of Business Development at Mayo.

Healthcare IT News, First IT-savvy med students graduate under pioneering AMA program by Mike Miliard — The first graduating classes from some of the 32 medical schools to participate in the American Medical Association's pioneering curriculum modernization initiative are now ready to take their tech savvy to hospitals and practices nationwide…Mayo Medical School, UC Davis School of Medicine and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University were among the first organizations to sign on to the initiative.

Healthcare Informatics, Mayo Clinic’s Rochester Campus Goes Live With Epic by David Raths — On May 5 Mayo Clinic’s Rochester, Minn., campus turned on Epic Systems’ EHR, in perhaps the largest go-live event in Epic’s history. The implementation included 26,000 Mayo employees and increased the number of Mayo patients in Epic to more than 8 million. It replaces approximately 300 disparate systems with Epic’s integrated modules. “The Rochester go-live is likely our largest go-live event in terms of number of end users and scope of applications,” Lisa Ross, an Epic implementation executive, told the Wisconsin Statesman-Journal.

DOTmed.com, Researchers identify method to overcome false positives in CT imaging for lung cancer — A team of researchers including investigators from Mayo Clinic has identified a technology to address the problem of false positives in CT-based lung cancer screening. The team's findings are published in the current issue of PLOS One. "As physicians, one of the most challenging problems in screening patients for lung cancer is that the vast majority of the detected pulmonary nodules are not cancer," says Tobias Peikert, M.D., a pulmonologist at Mayo Clinic. "Even in individuals who are at high risk for lung cancer, up to 96 percent of nodules are not cancer."

KCRU, You Really Should Take Your Medicine by Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs — An article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings listed several factors that contribute to poor medication adherence. Some are patient-related, such as low health literacy, some are physician-related, such as the prescription of complex drug regimens, and some are related to health care systems, such as office visit time limitations.

News-medical.net, Mayo Clinic researchers identify new possible treatment choice for triple negative breast cancer — In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mayo Clinic researchers identified that an FDA drug approved for myelodysplastic syndrome may be useful to treat triple-negative breast cancer, which is one of the most aggressive and lethal types of breast cancer…"There is a great need to identify additional treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer, which is one of the most difficult to treat subtypes of breast cancer," says Mayo researcher Liewei Wang, M.D., Ph.D. "The study is a demonstration that we can take advantage of many existing FDA approved drugs to expand their usage by better understanding the mechanisms of how they work and applying them to other cancers."

Medical Xpress, Hyoscyamine helps in A-fib with slow ventricular response — Scott A. Helgeson, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and colleagues describe the case of a 98-year-old man with a chronic indwelling urinary catheter, dementia, atrial fibrillation, and metastatic prostate cancer who presented with recurrent syncope and bradycardia to the emergency department.

Forbes Mexico, Cinco consejos para aumentar tu nivel de felicidad — Según Charlene Martin Lillie, especialista en resiliencia y guía de pacientes en Mayo Clinic, es poco realista simplemente decidir ser feliz. No obstante, si eres más consciente de tu realidad, agradecido por lo que tienes y más relajado en tus actitudes, es probable que te sientas más alegre. Para llevar esta recomendación a tu cotidianeidad, la experta recomienda probar estas cinco consejos para aumentar tu nivel de felicidad.

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