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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Wall Street Journal Who’s on First? Great-Grandpa! Softball Bends the Rules for Seniors by James Hagerty An estimated 393,000 Americans over 55 regularly play slow-pitch softball, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. It isn’t clear how many are over 70, but league managers around the country say the 70-plus set is a fast-growing segment. That reflects demographics. There were 13.9 million men aged 70 or over in the U.S. in 2016, up 17% from 2011, according to census estimates. Dr. James Kirkland, director of Mayo Clinic’s Kogod Center on Aging, credits medical care that allows more people to survive heart attacks, cancer and strokes. Reach: The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, has an average circulation of 2.3 million daily which includes print and digital versions. Context: James Kirkland, M.D., Ph.D. is a Mayo Clinic internist. Dr. Kirkland's research focus is on cellular aging (senescence) on age-related dysfunction and chronic diseases, especially developing methods for removing these cells and alleviating their effects. Senescent cells accumulate with aging and in such diseases as dementias, atherosclerosis, cancers, diabetes and arthritis. Dr. Kirkland is also the director of the Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center of Aging. Contact: Megan Forliti Star Tribune Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota develop 'robocop' stem cells to fight cancer by Jeremy Olson Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota say they’re on the brink of a new era in cancer care — one in which doctors extract a patient’s white blood cells, have them genetically engineered in a lab, and put them back to become personalized cancer-fighting machines.. “I often tell patients that T-cells are like super robocops,” said Dr. Yi Lin, a Mayo hematologist in Rochester. “We’re now directing those cells to really target cancer.” Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Additional coverage: St. Cloud Times Context: Yi Lin, M.D., Ph.D. is a Mayo Clinic hematologist. Contact: Joe Dangor Post-Bulletin Medica to buy Mayo Clinic's MMSI by Jeff Kiger A Minnesota insurance giant announced this morning that it is buying Mayo Clinic's health benefits division called MMSI. Minneapolis-based Medica is buying MMSI from Mayo Clinic by the end of 2017. No details were released about what the change could mean for customers or MMSI employees in Rochester. Also, the announcement did not include how much Medica is paying Mayo Clinic for its for-profit division..."Complementing each organizations' strengths is important in this decision," stated Mayo Clinic Chief Financial Officer Kedrick Adkins in today's announcement. "This new arrangement offers technologies and opportunities to explore that can benefit patients and clients." Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota.The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and southeast Minnesota. Additional coverage: KTTC, Star Tribune, KAAL, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Twin Cities Business, Healthcare Dive Context: Mayo Clinic and Medica announced recently that Medica is acquiring Mayo Clinic Health Solutions (MMSI), a division of Mayo Clinic. The move represents a new business arrangement for the two organizations. The change will be effective by the end of 2017; financial details are not being announced. MMSI, based in Rochester, Minn., and doing business as Mayo Clinic Health Solutions, is a health benefits management company and licensed third party administrator that provides plan administration services and health care products to 260,000 members through 28 customers. Contact: Karl Oestreich KAAL 96-Year-Old Employee Celebrates 61 Years at Mayo Clinic by Elise Romas The average person is likely to have few jobs in one lifetime, and retire one day, but that's not the plan for everyone. “I was assigned to come out here to Saint Marys after I finished my novation, and I've been here ever since," said Mayo Clinic employee Sister Lauren Weinandt. Located down the hall from administration, you'll find Sister Lauren, Mayo Clinic’s longest serving employee. Reach: KAAL is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., which owns all ABC Affiliates in Minnesota including KSTP in Minneapolis-St. Paul and WDIO in Duluth. KAAL, which operates from Austin, also has ABC satellite stations in Alexandria and Redwood Falls. KAAL serves Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa. Context: Sister Lauren Weinandt is a Mayo Clinic treasure. The extended KAAL interview with Sister Lauren can be found here. Learn more about her from our friends at Mayo Clinic in the Loop. Contact: Kelly Reller
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily BlahnikCNN Calling BS on BMI: How can we tell how fat we are? by Jen Christensen "BMI really was a measurement created for epidemiology to give data that was relative and could be used in research," said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, an obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Up until the 1980s, he said, doctors and scientists had been using a variety of measures to track whether a person had gained so much weight that it could hurt their health. The variety in measurement made it hard to chart trends. And as doctors were noticing that people were getting bigger, they wanted to understand how big a problem it was…"Over time, BMI has gained a clinical use, but that was not the original intention behind its creation," Mayo Clinic's Lopez-Jimenez said. "That's because it does have real limitations." Reach: CNN.com has 29.7 million unique visitors to its website each month. Additional coverage: Gant News Context: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. The research program of Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., studies obesity and cardiovascular disease from different angles, from physiologic studies assessing changes in myocardial mechanics and structural and hemodynamic changes following weight loss, to studies addressing the effect of physicians' diagnosis of obesity on willingness to lose weight and successful weight loss at follow-up. Contact: Traci Klein ActionNewsJax Woman regains independence after brain mapping surgery at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville by Deanna Bettineschi A brain mapping surgery at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville has helped a woman regain her independence. For more than two decades, Peggy Cardona struggled with “I got to where I was having anywhere from seven to 11 seizures a month,” Cardona said. She said the seizures affected her ability to process words and formulate sentences. She saw several doctors and tried almost every medication available, but nothing worked. Cardona finally found the help she needed when she went to Dr. William Tatum at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Reach: WAWS-TV/30 is the Fox affiliate. WTEV-TV/47 is the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida. Context: William Tatum, D.O. is a Mayo Clinic neurologist. Post-Bulletin Our View: Mayo and Rochester are family, with all that entails Nearly everyone in town has a connection to what used to be called, without irony, Mother Mayo. Some folks, no doubt, will argue that Mayo is no longer the family it used to be. We don't entirely disagree with that. It happens to organizations that grow the kind of footprint Mayo has developed in recent decades. It's been a long time since Drs. Will and Charlie presided over what was basically a family operation, with a couple of clinic buildings and a few hundred employees. The world of medical care has advanced eons beyond those times, and Mayo has advanced with it. The challenge for Mayo today is to remain as family-oriented as possible, while maintaining the quality of practices that have placed it No. 1… Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Context: Mayo Clinic was again named the best hospital in the country in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of top hospitals published on the U.S. News & World Report website recently. More information about the rankings can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Mayo Clinic also recently released a societal impact report demonstrating the powerful effect the organization has on medical practice, patients and the American economy. The report ─ a first-of-its-kind study for Mayo Clinic ─ shows that Mayo Clinic contributed $28 billion to the U.S. economy and created 167,000 jobs nationwide through its business expenditures and the employer multiplier effect. TEConomy Partners, LLC, a consulting firm that provides econometric analysis, conducted this study. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic Modern Healthcare Overcoming past mistakes with patients in medical research by Steven Ross Johnson …"The standard cancer trial was you took patients with a certain type of cancer and randomized them into treatment A versus treatment B and looked at the effects on survival and other outcomes," said Dr. Sundeep Khosla, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and clinical researcher. "With precision medicine and the ability to sequence the tumors, you might have patients with lung, ovarian or breast cancer all part of a trial because they happen to have a common mutation that happens to be targeted by a particular drug." Reach: Modern Healthcare, published by Crain Communications, is a healthcare news weekly that provides hospital executives with healthcare business news. The magazine specifically covers healthcare policy, Medicare/Medicaid, and healthcare from a business perspective. It also publishes a daily e-newsletter titled Modern Healthcare’s Daily Dose. The weekly publication has a circulation of more than 70,800 and its on-line site receives nearly 462,000 unique visitors each month. Context: Sundeep Khosla, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. His research focuses on focuses on the mechanisms of age-related bone loss, sex steroid regulation of bone metabolism and the detrimental effects of diabetes mellitus on bone. Dr. Khosla's research group in his Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Laboratory is examining how fundamental aging mechanisms in bone lead to increased skeletal fragility. In addition, Dr. Khosla also uses a number of genetically engineered disease models to define how estrogen regulates the skeleton. In clinical studies, Dr. Khosla is examining the adverse effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus on bone structure and material properties, which may explain the increase in fracture risk in this population. Contact: Bob Nellis
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Pioneer Press Study: Mayo Clinic had $28B impact on U.S economy in 2015 A study commissioned by Mayo Clinic calculates the health care giant’s national economic footprint as well as other related benefits. Ohio-based TEConomy Partners released a report Thursday that found that Mayo Clinic contributed almost 170,000 jobs and $28 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015, the Post Bulletin reported. Reach: The St. Paul Pioneer Press has a daily circulation of more than 194,000 that spans the Twin Cities, parts of Minnesota, and a large part of Wisconsin. Its website has more than 2.1 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: Twin Cities Business, Mayo Clinic Tops ‘Best Hospitals’ List for Third Time in Four Years Kansas City Star, U.S. News & World Report, Star Tribune, Austin Herald Previous coverage in August 4, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Today, Mayo Clinic released a societal impact report demonstrating the powerful effect the organization has on medical practice, patients and the American economy. The report ─ a first-of-its-kind study for Mayo Clinic ─ shows that Mayo Clinic contributed $28 billion to the U.S. economy and created 167,000 jobs nationwide through its business expenditures and the employer multiplier effect. TEConomy Partners, LLC, a consulting firm that provides econometric analysis, conducted this study. While the study confirms that Mayo Clinic is a national economic force, the report, Remarkable Moments of Sharing, details how Mayo Clinic also provides many additional benefits to households, businesses, government and other organizations across the U.S. Mayo Clinic’s unique integration of clinical care, research and education creates connections that lead to a meaningful impact on patients, researchers, medical students and communities. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic Post-Bulletin Mayo Clinic retains No. 1 ranking in U.S. News by Brett Boese — Mayo Clinic retained the top spot in U.S. News & World Report's 2017-18 Best Hospital rankings, but the annual report included a historic first that gave Mayo officials another reason to celebrate. Mayo's Rochester facility earned the coveted No. 1 ranking for the second straight year and the third time in four years. This year, Mayo officials also celebrated out west as the Phoenix campus finished No. 20 in a report that examined more than 4,500 medical centers across the country. It's the first time in the 28-year history of the U.S. News rankings that Mayo has placed more than one campus on the Honor Roll, and the first time any Arizona facility has landed in the Top 20. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Additional coverage: KAAL, Rochester Businesses Strive to Stand with Mayo as #1 Medscape, KARE 11, Healio, KTTC, KXLT FOX 47, Medical Health News, Healthcare Dive Arizona Republic, Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix among top 20 in national ranking KPNX, Phoenix Business Journal, KTAR Phoenix Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic ranked best hospital in Florida by U.S. News & World Report South Florida Business Journal, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel KEYC Mankato, Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato Named Among Top Hospitals In Minnesota Context: Mayo Clinic was again named the best hospital in the country in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of top hospitals published on the U.S. News & World Report website recently. Other highlights include: Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus ranked No. 20 among hospitals nationwide Mayo Clinic ranked No. 1 in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota Mayo Clinic ranked No. 1 in the Jacksonville, Florida, and Phoenix metro areas More information about the rankings can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contacts: Rhoda Fukushima Madson, Kevin Punsky, Jim McVeigh, Micah Dorfner KMSP Mayo Clinic: Gut bacteria may lead to multiple sclerosis treatment A human gut microbe discovered by researchers at Mayo Clinic may help treat autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, according to findings published in the journal Cell Reports. The Mayo research team, including researchers from th University of Iowa, tested gut microbial samples from patients on a mouse model of MS. Of three bacterial strains, they found one microbe, called Prevotella histicola, effectively suppressed immune disease in the preclinical model of MS. “If we can use the microbes already in the human body to treat human disease beyond the gut itself, we may be onto a new era of medicine,” said a statement from Dr. Joseph Murray, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. “We are talking about bugs as drugs." Additional coverage: Medical Xpress, TIME, Medical News Today Reach: KMSP, Fox 9, broadcasts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. Context: Joseph Murray, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and hepatologist. Contact: Joe Dangor First Coast News New Mayo Clinic facility aims to increase lungs available for transplant In the coming months, construction will begin on a new facility at Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus. Mayo Clinic announced a partnership with Maryland-based United Therapeutics Corporation to build and operate a lung restoration center in 2015. “There’s only one other center right now in the country that’s actually doing what we do,” Windell Smith, Mayo Clinic operations administrator, said. “And that’s in Silver Springs, Maryland.” Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate. Context: Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) will build and operate a lung restoration center on the Mayo campus. The goal is to significantly increase the volume of lungs for transplantation by preserving and restoring selected marginal donor lungs, making them viable for transplantation. The restored lungs will be made available to patients at Mayo Clinic and other transplant centers throughout the United States. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Paul Scotti
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik US News & World Report Students Begin Class at New Metro Phoenix Medical School Fifty students in Arizona took the first steps of a four-year journey to becoming medical doctors. The Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, also called Mayo Med School, began instruction last week at its metro Phoenix campus in Scottsdale. Its inaugural class includes 10 students who from Arizona or with ties to the state. Mayo Med School Interim Dean Dr. Michele Halyard told the school's inaugural class her stress-reliever as a student doctor came in the form of exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. Reach: US News reaches more than 10 million unique visitors to its website each month. Additional coverage: WFTV Orlando, KTAR, Santa Fe New Mexican, Star Tribune, KTTC, Chicago Tribune, KPNX 12 News Previous coverage in August 4, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in July 21, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in July 14, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: This July, Mayo Clinic's campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, will become the third campus of Mayo Medical School. Students will join about 5,700 Mayo Clinic employees who care for more than 100,000 patients every year. It's a close-knit (but not too small) Mayo Clinic campus in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the country. Contact: Jim McVeigh Univision Q’s Hands by Jorge Ramos The brain is pulsating in front of me — I never imagined that the brain could pulsate as the heart does. It’s beige, almost light brown. Purple veins and arteries sprawl like a spider web…The patient, who we’ll call M, is a 29-year-old who had a brain tumor. He allowed me and my television crew to record the procedure. M put his faith and his brain in the hands of Dr. Alfredo Quiñones and the experts at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. I would have done the same. Dr. Q is a living legend. At 49, he has performed some 2,500 brain surgeries. But the most riveting story is how he managed to become one of the world’s most talented neurosurgeons. Reach: Univision is the leading destination for U.S. Hispanics by a significant margin, commanding 60% share of the Spanish-language primetime Adult 18-49 audience and reaching an estimated 108 million average monthly unduplicated media consumers. Previous coverage in May 26, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in May 12, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in January 13, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in September 23, 2016 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in April 22, 2016 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D., prominent neurosurgeon, researcher and educator, joined Mayo Clinic in 2016 as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery on the Florida campus, along with several members of his research team from Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa is renown nationally and internationally as a surgeon, researcher, humanitarian and author. His laboratory has published many manuscripts and articles, submitted a number of patents and obtained three NIH grants. Students and fellows who worked with Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa have gone on to join leading neuroscience programs throughout the world. Mayo Clinic's world-renowned neurosurgeons perform more than 7,000 complex surgical procedures every year at campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Contact: Kevin Punsky, Sharon Theimer First Coast News Doctors studying CTE injuries at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville by Janny Rodriguez Boston University study finding that 110 of 111 deceased NFL players showed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a disease caused by repeated blows to the head, has gotten national attention. Locally, the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville is studying ways to determine if people have CTE, especially at a young age. Mayo Dr. Kevin Bieniek says even at a high school level players are at risk. His own research has found that one third of high school football players had CTE. "Even younger cases are not immune and that's what this Boston study shows and that's what our research shows," said Dr. Bieniek. Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate. Context: Kevin Bieniek, Ph.D. is associated with Dennis Dickson, MD's brain bank as part of Mayo Clinic's neuroscience research. Neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic in Florida are leaders in the discovery of new genes, biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Dennis Dickson, M.D., a member of the Department of Neuroscience and a Potamkin Prize winner, directs the brain bank, which contains more than 5,000 specimens. Contact: Kevin Punsky Post-Bulletin What's Mayo Clinic's impact? by Jeff Kiger The Mayo Clinic Effect spreads far beyond the hospital walls to add an estimated $28 billion to the U.S. economy is no surprise of residents of Rochester. "There's no doubt it makes a huge impact for us," said Nick Powers, general manager of the Canadian Honker restaurant across Second Street from Mayo Clinic's Saint Marys Hospital. When we started 33 years ago, this was a small restaurant that seated 40 people. We essentially grew along with Mayo." Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Context: Today, Mayo Clinic released a societal impact report demonstrating the powerful effect the organization has on medical practice, patients and the American economy. The report ─ a first-of-its-kind study for Mayo Clinic ─ shows that Mayo Clinic contributed $28 billion to the U.S. economy and created 167,000 jobs nationwide through its business expenditures and the employer multiplier effect. TEConomy Partners, LLC, a consulting firm that provides econometric analysis, conducted this study. While the study confirms that Mayo Clinic is a national economic force, the report, Remarkable Moments of Sharing, details how Mayo Clinic also provides many additional benefits to households, businesses, government and other organizations across the U.S. Mayo Clinic’s unique integration of clinical care, research and education creates connections that lead to a meaningful impact on patients, researchers, medical students and communities. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Washington Post Healthier living could reduce worldwide dementia by a third, report says by Tara Bahrampour That report, which was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and used different methodologies than the Lancet Commission’s, found that just three types of intervention offered “encouraging but inconclusive” evidence: cognitive training, blood pressure management for hypertension and increased physical exercise. Ronald C. Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, presented the report Wednesday at the conference and said large trials that are currently ongoing or forthcoming could provide more evidence to support the effects of lifestyle intervention. Reach: Weekday circulation of The Washington Post is more than 356,000. The Post's website receives more than 32.7 million unique visitors each month. Context: Ron Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Petersen is regularly sought out by reporters as a leading expert in his medical field. Dr. Petersen chairs the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services. Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist National Public Radio Is Inflammation Bad For You Or Good For You? by Katherine Hobson Chronic, low-level inflammation seems to play a role in a host of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer and even depression. And even though the science on inflammation and disease is far from settled, tests and treatments are being promoted that claim to reduce that risk… But the blood test for the hs-CRP marker isn't specific, which means it can tell you there's inflammation going on, but not why it's happening. It could be an infection, or an autoimmune disease, or that sprained ankle. So it's not terribly helpful on its own. "As we confront or deal with a specific medical issue, we usually end up being very focused and precise about the disease process," says James Li, an allergist-immunologist at the Mayo Clinic. "We don't look at these conditions globally as inflammation in the body." Reach: Shots is the online channel for health stories from the NPR Science Desk. Shots reports on news that can makes a difference for in people's health and shows how policy shapes people's health choices. Shots also includes the latest on research and medical treatments, as well as the business side of health. The blog receives more than 242,000 unique visitors to its site each month. Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist Hospitals & Health Networks Mayo Schools Students in Medicine and Health Care Delivery Science, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine welcomes students to Arizona campus, new curriculum by Matt O’Connor This week, members of the first class to start at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine's new campus in Arizona will embark on the first leg of their medical careers and will find something extra in the curriculum as well. The 50 students at Mayo's new Phoenix-Scotsdale campus will be introduced to the school’s Science of Health Care Delivery curriculum. Piloted in 2015, the curriculum focuses on exposing students to the special challenges of working in a health system. Reach: Hospitals & Health Networks is a monthly magazine, with a circulation of more than 77,000, is geared toward health care executives and clinical leaders in hospitals and health systems. Its website has more than 58,000 unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: Arizona Republic, 50 students start down grueling path in Mayo Med School's inaugural Scottsdale class Previous coverage in July 21, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in July 14, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: This July, Mayo Clinic's campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, will become the third campus of Mayo Medical School. Students will join about 5,700 Mayo Clinic employees who care for more than 100,000 patients every year. It's a close-knit (but not too small) Mayo Clinic campus in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the country. Contact: Jim McVeigh HealthLeaders Complete Technology Overhaul Costs Mayo Clinic $1.5 Billion The Mayo Clinic Health System's $1.5 billion EHR rollout will affect thousands of employees nationwide. The Mayo Clinic Health System recently began a $1.5 billion electronic health record (EHR) rollout which will affect all 70 of the system’s facilities and 51,000 employees across the country, according to Fierce Healthcare. The system until recently used a combination of two EHR programs—a situation many CDI specialists may bemoan—but the Wisconsin facilities have now begun the consolidation to Epic’s EHR. Reach: HealthLeaders is published monthly with a circulation of more than 40,000 and is targeted toward senior executives in the health care industry. Its website receives more than 161,000 unique visitors each month. Previous Coverage in the July 21, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Mayo Clinic has started the process of moving to a single, integrated electronic health record and billing system with the implementation of Epic at its Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin. Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin began implementing Epic last weekend. Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Minnesota are scheduled to go live in November 2017, followed by Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in May 2018 and Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Arizona and Florida in October 2018. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik US News & World Report Mayo Clinic Launches New $1B Electronic Records System Mayo Clinic officials say a $1 billion project launched by the health care provider will combine all of its electronic health records into a single, upgraded computer system. Mayo Clinic Health System sites switched to the new system by Wisconsin-based Epic Systems Corp. on Saturday, the Post-Bulletin reported. It allows all medical personnel involved to see information about a patient's medications, allergies and health issues. "By applying the world's most forward-thinking technology and processes to our electronic health records and collaborative care systems, our experts will be even more connected in delivering the high-value care, research and education that Mayo is known for and patients deserve," said Christopher Ross, a spokesman for Mayo Clinic. Additional coverage: American Nursing Informatics Association, Healthcare IT News, Star Tribune, Post-Bulletin, KSTP, Mankato Free Press, Albert Lea Tribune, KEYC Mankato, Fierce Biotech, WQOW La Crosse, Becker’s Hospital Review, SFGate, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Austin Daily Herald, Milwaukee Business Journal, EHR Intelligence, KTTC, Healthcare Informatics, DOTmed.com Reach: US News reaches more than 10 million unique visitors to its website each month. Context: Mayo Clinic has started the process of moving to a single, integrated electronic health record and billing system with the implementation of Epic at its Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin. Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin began implementing Epic last weekend. Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Minnesota are scheduled to go live in November 2017, followed by Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in May 2018 and Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Arizona and Florida in October 2018. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson Star Tribune Mayo joint venture looks for new uses for drug molecules by Joe Carlson A new venture between the Mayo Clinic and a Boston-area artificial intelligence firm will work with drug companies to discover whether molecules researched for treatment of one disease can effectively treat other conditions. The month-old research company is called Qrativ and will target conditions for which current treatments are lacking. Mayo’s partner in the joint venture is Cambridge-based Nference. “Mayo’s interest in this is not only will we be making new therapies for patients, but I believe that this is also going to enhance Mayo’s research capabilities,” said Mayo’s Dr. Andrew Badley, an infectious disease specialist who directs Mayo’s Office of Translation to Practice. “Already we’ve used the Nference platform for a few investigators at Mayo, which has led to new insights and new associations that have advanced the progress of science tangibly.” Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Additional coverage: Xconomy, Fierce Biotech Context: Recently, Mayo Clinic and nference launch a startup company for drug development that will be powered by clinical expertise and artificial intelligence (AI). The company, named Qrativ(pronounced cure-a-tiv) will combine nference’s AI-driven knowledge synthesis platform with Mayo Clinic’s medical expertise and clinical data. Qrativ seeks to discover and develop treatments for diseases with unmet medical need. This effort is being boosted by an $8.3 million Series A financing supported by Matrix Capital Management, Matrix Partners and Mayo Clinic. Qrativ’s initial focus will be on rare diseases and highly targeted patient populations. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic HuffPost Obesity: An Individualized Approach Doubles The Success Rate Of Weight Loss Therapy In the new Obesity Clinic within Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, a multidisciplinary team selects therapy for each patient based on his or her genetic and biological characteristics, environment and behavior. The new approach is already dramatically increasing treatment success and pioneering the application of precision medicine to treat chronic diseases. The Obesity Clinic is open to anyone who is overweight or obese and wants to lose weight. Reach: The Huffington Post attracts over 38.7 million monthly unique viewers. Context: Individualized medicine, also known as personalized medicine or precision medicine, means tailoring diagnosis and treatment to each patient to optimize care. Patients have experienced this kind of care for a century and a half at Mayo Clinic, where teams of specialists have always worked together to find answers. The Center for Individualized Medicine solves the clinical challenges of today and tomorrow by bringing the latest discoveries from the research laboratory to your doctor's fingertips in the form of new genomics-based tests and treatments. Contacts: Colette Gallager, Susan Buckles HuffPost Study Pioneers Use Of Pharmacogenomic Data In Electronic Health Record Each one of us has a unique genetic makeup, and we all respond differently to drugs. In recent years, precision medicine has made headlines by predicting the possibility an individual may develop a specific disease — think BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations linked to breast and ovarian cancer. But that is just the tip of the genomic iceberg, says Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine’s Pharmacogenomics Program and the Mary Lou and John H. Dasburg Professor of Cancer Genomics. “When you look at the clinical application of genomics, everyone thinks of cancer — and this is appropriate, because cancer is a genomic disease,” Dr. Weinshilboum says. “However, the aspect of clinical genomics that will affect everyone everywhere is pharmacogenomics,” or how an individual’s genetic makeup influences how the body responds to medications. Reach: The Huffington Post attracts over 38.7 million monthly unique viewers. Context: Individualized medicine, also known as personalized medicine or precision medicine, means tailoring diagnosis and treatment to each patient to optimize care. Patients have experienced this kind of care for a century and a half at Mayo Clinic, where teams of specialists have always worked together to find answers. The Center for Individualized Medicine solves the clinical challenges of today and tomorrow by bringing the latest discoveries from the research laboratory to your doctor's fingertips in the form of new genomics-based tests and treatments. Contacts: Colette Gallager, Susan Buckles Post-Bulletin Gehrig-signed ball completes a circuit by Brett Boese A baseball signed by New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig is finally home — with a story to tell. Mayo Clinic has opened a new display at Heritage Hall, its free museum staffed by volunteers, to display a baseball Gehrig signed for a Rochester boy in 1939 just before he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is often called Lou Gehrig's disease. That boy — Rochester native Bob Tierney — cherished the artifact for decades before selling it to Rochester businessman Andy Chafoulias in December 2014, shortly before Tierney's death. Chafoulias and his 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, immediately donated the ball to Mayo, sparking more than a year of planning and preparation before the display recently opened along the back wall of Heritage Hall. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Context: Bob Tierney connected with Yankees legendary first baseman Lou Gehrig instantly. "We hit it off," says Bob, now 91 years old. The advice the Iron Horse gave the 15-year-old changed his life. The year was 1939. Bob would come to the fields just south of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to hit and play catch with the American Legion team, a group of young men in love with the game but with long odds of making a career out of it. Gehrig, too, was looking for the game he'd spent a lifetime mastering. Gehrig was eager to find local players in Rochester when he asked the hotelier, who pointed the Yankees legend to the same fields that Bob and the rest of the boys occupied. More information about this story can be found here. Contact: Kelly Reller
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Bloomberg Mayo Clinic CEO Says Trump's Budget Is Probably D.O.A. John Noseworthy, Mayo Clinic president and chief executive officer, discusses the health-care legislation currently before the U.S. Congress and the state of the health-care industry with Bloomberg's David Gura at the Allen & Company Media Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Reach: Bloomberg News is an international wire service, including print, television, radio and Internet, that provides news, data and analysis to business and media professionals around the world. Bloomberg publishes over 6,000 stories on an average day, syndicating to over 450 newspapers worldwide with a combined circulation of 80 million people. Context: John Noseworthy, M.D. is Mayo Clinic President and CEO. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic Arizona PBS Mayo Medical School Classes will start for the first time at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Scottsdale. We'll hear more from Dr. Michele Halyard, dean of the new school. Reach: Eight, Arizona PBS is a PBS station that has focused on educating children, reporting in-depth on public affairs, fostering lifelong learning and celebrating arts and culture. Its signal reaches 86 percent of the homes in Arizona. With more than 1 million viewers weekly, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. Eight is a member-supported service of Arizona State University. Context: This July, Mayo Clinic's campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, will become the third campus of Mayo Medical School. Students will join about 5,700 Mayo Clinic employees who care for more than 100,000 patients every year. It's a close-knit (but not too small) Mayo Clinic campus in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the country. Contact: Jim McVeigh First Coast News Robot performs first knee surgery at Mayo Clinic by Janny Rodriguez For the first time, doctors at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville are using a robot to help perform full knee replacement surgeries on patients. "I was playing tennis, I was hitting a forehand and I heard something pop," said native Texan, Mini Kincaid. She said she tore her meniscus and since skiing, hiking and even walking became painful. Eventually she was told she would need a full knee replacement. A robot at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville came to her rescue. "All of a sudden I'm walking, and I'm biking and I'm almost normal," she said. Her surgery at Mayo Clinic was a success and the first in the region to be performed with the help of the robotic arm. "I do the surgery, I'm holding an instrument, but it guides my hand," said Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Cedric Ortiguera. He said he never dreamed of having that kind of partner in surgery. Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate. Context: Cedric Ortiguera, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon. Contact: Kevin Punsky HealthDay Parkinson's Disease and Melanoma May Occur Together, Study Finds by Robert Preidt People with Parkinson's disease are about four times more likely to develop melanoma skin cancer, and conversely, people with melanoma have a fourfold higher risk of getting Parkinson's, researchers report. Although doctors have known about the connection between these diseases, they still don't know why having one increases the risk of the other. "Future research should focus on identifying common genes, immune responses and environmental exposures that may link these two diseases," said study first author Dr. Lauren Dalvin, who's with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "If we can pinpoint the cause of the association between Parkinson's disease and melanoma, we will be better able to counsel patients and families about their risk of developing one disease in the setting of the other," she said in a Mayo news release. Reach: HealthDay distributes its health news to media outlets several times each day and also posts its news on its website, which receives nearly 398,000 unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: Philly.com, Parkinson’s News Today, UPI.com, Doctors Lounge Context: People with the movement disorder Parkinson’s disease have a much higher risk of the skin cancer melanoma, and vice versa, a Mayo Clinic study finds. While further research is needed into the connection, physicians treating one disease should be vigilant for signs of the other and counsel those patients about risk, the authors say. The findings are published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Overall, patients with Parkinson’s were roughly four times likelier to have had a history of melanoma than those without Parkinson’s, and people with melanoma had a fourfold higher risk of developing Parkinson’s, the research found. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Sharon Theimer ABC News Trying to keep brain sharp doesn't have to be costly by Linda A. Johnson While there's nothing you can do or take to ensure you won't get Alzheimer's disease, experts say there are some strategies that might help keep your brain sharp. And you don't need to dole out a lot of money to do it. "Does one have to spend their life savings on computer games? I don't think so," said Dr. Yonas Geda, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, who's looked at some alternatives. Reach: ABCNews.com is the official website for ABC News. Its website receives more than 24.1 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: New York Times, Albany Times Union, Columbia Missourian Context: Mayo Clinic researchers have found that engaging in mentally stimulating activities, even late in life, may protect against new-onset mild cognitive impairment, which is the intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia. The study found that cognitively normal people 70 or older who engaged in computer use, craft activities, social activities and playing games had a decreased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. The results are published in the Jan. 30 edition of JAMA Neurology. More information on the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Julie Janovsky-Mason
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Arizona Republic Ask a Doc: Making radiation treatment for cancer safer by Steven E. Schild Question: How does proton beam compare to other forms of radiation treatment? Answer: Radiation therapy is an important treatment for many cancers. More than half of all cancer patients receive one or more courses of radiation therapy as part of their treatment. In radiation therapy, intense amounts of energy are directed through X-ray at cancer cells to destroy the genetic material that controls cell growth. The electromagnetic waves in X-rays pass through most objects because of their physical properties. — Steven E. Schild, M.D., is chairman of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. 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. Context: Mayo Clinic offers proton beam therapy for patients at new facilities in Arizona and Minnesota. Through its Proton Beam Therapy Program, Mayo brings a new capability in radiotherapy to people who can benefit from highly targeted precision beam therapy. Intensity-modulated proton beam therapy with pencil beam scanning, the latest form of proton beam therapy, allows Mayo radiation oncologists to destroy cancer while sparing healthy tissue. Steven Schild, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist. Dr. Schild's research is focused mainly on the treatment of tumors arising in the lung and prostate gland. Contact: Jim McVeigh FiveThirtyEight Lyme Disease Is Spreading, And It’s Partly This Mouse’s Fault by Sheila M. Eldred The role of the white-footed mouse is so important in spreading tick-borne diseases that Dr. Bobbi Pritt always works it into the discussion. “Interventions to decrease the mice [population] could potentially prevent Lyme disease” and other tick-borne diseases too, said Pritt, whose team discovered a new bacterial species that causes Lyme disease while leading research on parasites and vector-borne diseases at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The expanded range of the white-footed mouse can also clue scientists in to where tick-borne diseases may spread. Reach: FiveThirtyEight covers politics, economics, science, life and sports with a focus on data analysis, statistics and predictive models. It receives more than 8.6 million unique visitors to its website each month. Context: Bobbi Pritt, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic pathologist who focuses on infectious disease. Her research interests are in clinical parasitology, vector-borne diseases, trainee education and appropriate test utilization. Dr. Pritt is also the author of the Parasite Wonders blog where she explores new parasite cases each week. Contact: Gina Chiri-Osmond KAAL Slowing Memory Loss with Age Sometimes as people get older, their memory starts to fade, but recent findings from the National Academies of Science show that certain techniques can change that. “I wish things could be where they were so that I could do things without worrying about anything," said Donna Ties who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's six years ago. "Some people benefit from these brain exercises," said Dr. Ron Petersen with the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Center. Peterson, who was on the committee that wrote a recent report for the National Academies of Sciences, said there are ways to help with memory before a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s. "The exercises that were done 10 years ago actually had an effect two years out, five and 10 years out at slowing down cognitive aging," Petersen said. Reach: KAAL is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., which owns all ABC Affiliates in Minnesota including KSTP in Minneapolis-St. Paul and WDIO in Duluth. KAAL, which operates from Austin, also has ABC satellite stations in Alexandria and Redwood Falls. KAAL serves Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa. Context: Ron Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. Contact: Kelly Reller USA Today Competitive eating: How do they do it? by Sean Rossman On the 240th anniversary of his country's independence, American Joey Chestnut ate 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes. A new record. "Jaws," as Chestnut is known, put down a summer's worth of cased meats at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2016. It was an impressive physical accomplishment and a gargantuan intake of calories, fat and salt. ..The normal human stomach is about the size of a Nerf football, said Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist David Fleischer. At its biggest, it stretches about 15%. On the other hand, competitive eaters can expand their stomachs two to three times their normal size. Reach: USA Today is a national, general interest newspaper covering consumer-driven and general interest topics with a circulation of more than 2.2 million daily. USA Today Online has more than 36.7 unique million visitors each month. Context: David Fleischer, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. Contact: Kelley Luckstein
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik NBC News What Can Prevent Alzheimer’s? Here’s What the Evidence Shows by Maggie Fox — “At present, there are no pharmacologic or lifestyle interventions that will prevent mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease,” said Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer’s expert at the Mayo Clinic, who was on the committee. “All this is not new, but this review is the strongest evidence base we have,” Petersen added. “We have all been exposed to a study here, a study there. One suggests this intervention is beneficial, the other finds it’s not. This review looked at the totality of literature over last six years and put it to most rigorous test you can imagine.” Additional coverage: NBC News, Alzheimer's Prevention: Some Common-Sense Practices That May Help Slow Alzheimer's Reach: NBC News provides information about breaking news in business, health, entertainment, politics etc… and receives more than 21,547,025 unique visitors each month. Context: Ron Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. Contacts: Traci Klein, Susan Barber Lindquist NBC News Gene Testing for Most Effective Drugs Could Help Save Lives An apparent breakthrough in the field of personalized medicine: people can now test their genetic profiles to see how they might process a variety of drugs from pain relievers to more complex cancer treatments. Reach: NBC News provides information about breaking news in business, health, entertainment, politics etc… and receives more than 21,547,025 unique visitors each month. Related coverage: NBC News, Is Your Medication Helping or Hurting? DNA Tests May Be a Guide Context: Pharmacogenomics is the study of the role of inheritance in variation in drug response phenotypes, which range from life-threatening adverse drug reactions to lack of the desired therapeutic effect of a drug. Richard Weinshilboum, M.D. studies pharmacogenomics. The goal is to develop safer and more effective drug therapy to treat diseases that range from cancer to depression. Contacts: Traci Klein, Susan Buckles, Colette Gallagher HuffPost Mayo Investigator Is Developing A Screening Test For Endometrial Cancer Inspired by the patients she cares for each day, Jamie Bakkum-Gamez, M.D., is working to create a screening test for endometrial cancer that uses a tampon to collect vaginal fluid from a patient. The fluid is then analyzed to detect molecular and genetic changes could signal endometrial cancer. “Only five to ten percent of women with symptoms of endometrial cancer, which include abnormal vaginal bleeding, actually have the disease. However, nearly all women with these symptoms undergo an invasive endometrial biopsy to rule out endometrial cancer.” Reach: HuffPost receives more than 22.9 million unique visitors to its site each month. Context: Jamie N. Bakkum-Gamez, M.D.'s research include screening and early detection modalities in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer; prognostic molecular markers in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer; and quality improvement in postoperative outcomes after ovarian cancer staging surgery. Contacts: Joe Dangor, Kelley Luckstein Eau Claire Leader-Telegram UW-EC, Mayo to collaborate by Samantha West An official partnership formed between UW-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System will pave the way for heightened research opportunities that will benefit students and the entire Chippewa Valley, officials said. “The collaboration will definitely benefit both of our institutions,” said Dr. Richard Helmers, regional vice president of Mayo Clinic Health System’s northwestern Wisconsin region. “But most important, it will better the lives of residents of the Chippewa Valley community.” Reach: Leader-Telegram is a daily newspaper, with a circulation of more than 18,700, published for the residents of Eau Claire County, Chippewa Falls, and Menomonie, Wisconsin. Its website receives more than 18,700 unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: WQOW Eau Claire, UW-Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System announce research agreement WEAU Eau Claire, Historic agreement made between UW-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System Context: The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System announced a new agreement on June 28 that will increase opportunities for research collaboration between the two institutions, create new avenues of learning for UW-Eau Claire students, and make way for projects that will lead to improved health and wellness in the community. A new master collaborative research agreement will enable researchers at the two institutions to work together on projects. UW-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System will be better able to help prepare the next generation of scientists, innovators, and health care providers and leaders, officials said during a press conference at Mayo Clinic Health System’s Eau Claire campus. More information on the new agreement can be found here. Contacts: Dan Lea, Kristin Everett ABC News (Good Morning America) What to know about the new research on migraines Dr. David Dodick, Mayo Clinic neurologist, is interviewed on Good Morning America on chronic migraines. Interview starts at 2:09. Reach: Good Morning America is a national morning news program that airs on the ABC Television Network. GMA averages more than 4.6 million viewers daily. Context: David Dodick, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic neurologist. Dr. Dodick's research efforts include the testing of novel compounds for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine and cluster headache. Contact: Jim McVeigh
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik New York Times Who Really Needs to Be Gluten-Free? by Jane E. Brody Approximately one person in 140 is known to have celiac disease, which can remain silent for decades and become apparent at any age. The true incidence may be a lot higher. In a Denver study that followed children born from 1993 through 2004 into their teen years, 3.1 percent turned out to have celiac disease. “That’s an unbelievable number of Americans who may be affected,” said Dr. Joseph A. Murray of the Mayo Clinic, an international expert on the disease… “There’s a simple blood test for celiac, but it must be done before you change your diet,” Dr. Murray said in an interview. Aside from intestinal damage, failing to detect asymptomatic celiac at an early age can result in poor bone development and suppressed growth, Dr. Murray said. This can create “a high risk for fractures both before and after a diagnosis of celiac, which might not happen until age 40 or 50,” he explained. Reach: The New York Times has a daily circulation of nearly 649,000 and a Sunday circulation of 1.18 million. Context: Joseph Murray, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. Dr. Murray's research interests focus in two distinct areas. The first is celiac disease or gluten sensitivity and enteropathy. This research program, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on clinical epidemiology of celiac disease, the role of genetics in predicting disease, the development of animal models for the disease and its associated dermatologic condition, and dermatitis herpetiformis. Research focus number two revolves around esophageal disorders, particularly esophageal functional disorders, particularly reflux, and the detection of atypical reflux. Contacts: Joe Dangor, Traci Klein Florida Times-Union Guest column: Research drives economic growth of Florida’s diverse economy Working side-by-side, Mayo physicians and scientists seek to take these discoveries and accelerate life-changing therapies, surgical procedures and technologies. Clinical trials allow for new discoveries to be directly used for patient care. Patients at Mayo Clinic often are among the first to benefit from new therapies or innovative techniques through clinical trials. Because of research, over 1.3 million people came to Mayo Clinic for care in 2016, seeking medical answers they hadn’t found elsewhere. On Florida’s campus, patients have come from all 50 states and more than 140 countries for treatment since the clinic opened in 1986…— Gianrico Farrugia is a physician and CEO of Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus. Tushar Patel is a physician scientist and Dean for Research at the campus. Reach: The Florida Times-Union reaches more than 120,000 daily and 173,000 readers Sunday. Additional coverage: BioFlorida, Mayo Clinic building wellness in diverse ways Previous coverage in June 16, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Gianrico Farrugia, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. Tushar Patel, M.B., Ch.B., is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and is dean of research at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus. Contact: Kevin Punsky Star Tribune At Mayo, pitcher finds relief in lifelong battle with colitis by Jeremy Olson Jake Diekman has struggled since he was 10 with ulcerative colitis and the abdominal pains, diarrhea and emergency bathroom trips that it can cause. But the Texas Rangers relief pitcher said he taught himself to block out those symptoms whenever he took the mound…Diekman had been on a long train of medications, including the steroid prednisone, which he said made him feel better and lousy all at the same time. But Dr. Robert Cima, Diekman’s surgeon at Mayo, said they were no longer effective. Drugs either don’t work or become ineffective in 25 to 40 percent of cases, he noted. “Jake was not able to maintain his quality of life. He was not able to maintain the physical activity level he needs,” Cima said. “And given his profession, that was a big issue.” Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Context: Robert Cima, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic colorectal surgeon. Mayo Clinic surgeons helped develop minimally invasive (laparoscopic) colon and rectal surgery and use these techniques on almost all surgeries. Laparoscopic procedures use smaller incisions than conventional surgery, which decreases bleeding, lessens pain and shortens both expected hospital stays and overall recovery times. They are also skilled in robotic surgery, a specialized form of laparoscopic surgery, and ileoanal anastomosis surgery that avoids the need for a permanent colostomy. Contact: Sharon Theimer Contacts: Sharon Theimer, Kelley Luckstein KARE 11 Mayo offering fast-track breast cancer treatment by Adrienne Broaddus Early-stage breast cancer patients now have a fast-track treatment option at Mayo Clinic. Select, low-risk patients are completing their surgery and radiation in less than 10 days. "It’s a great option for women who are really, really busy and would like to complete all their therapy within a (short) time frame and get on with the rest of their life," says Dr. Tina Hieken, a Mayo Clinic surgeon who helped develop the program. "Yet, we're still able to deliver the maximum cancer therapy benefit (with) the optimal treatment to just the right area." Reach: KARE-TV is the NBC affiliate serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul market. Context: Early-stage breast cancer patients now have a fast-track treatment option at Mayo Clinic. Select, low-risk patients are completing their surgery and radiation in less than 10 days. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contacts: Kelley Luckstein, Dennis Douda KJZZ Joseph Sirven: Two Sides Of Hope My patient’s mom drops a 500-page collection of internet pages that she had printed in front of me. It’s meticulously researched and indexed about her daughter’s rare epilepsy condition. “Dr. Sirven, this is light reading for your lunches this week and maybe dinners too,” she said. “I hope your wife doesn’t mind.” I quietly thumbed through the bound tome feigning a smile. “Don’t worry, I know you can’t read it today,” the patient’s mother continued. “But I think you need to go through this in order for you to cure my daughter’s condition.” “Of course,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll go through this.” At a lunch break, I started going through the material consisting of interesting yet overwhelmingly positive articles on unproven therapies bordering on quackery. This clinical scenario is increasingly common. Reach: KJZZ-FM is a commercial station owned by Maricopa Community Colleges in Tempe, AZ. The format of the station is news and jazz. KJZZ-FM's target audience is news and jazz music listeners, ages 18 to 64, in the Tempe, AZ area. Context: Joseph Sirven, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic neurologist. Contact: Jim McVeigh Post-Bulletin Mayo medical school part of $52.5 million initiative by Brett Boese The Mayo Clinic School of Medicine has been selected to take part in a new national collaborative aimed at transforming medical education. The $52.5 million initiative called the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education (Kern Institute) was announced Thursday with seven of the nation's top medical schools collaborating to "transform medical education across the continuum from premedical school to physician practice," Mayo said in a release. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily circulation of more than 32,000 and serves the Minnesota cities of Rochester, Austin and surrounding communities. Its website has more than 440,000 unique visitors each month. Context: Mayo Clinic School of Medicine has been chosen to be part of the newly formed Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education (Kern Institute), a national initiative to transform medical education across the continuum from premedical school to physician practice. “We must redefine medical education and advance innovative medical education models if we are to meet the needs of patients and society in the 21st century,” says Fredric Meyer, M.D., Juanita Kious Waugh Executive Dean for Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. The Kern Institute and the National Transformation Network demonstrate the transformative impact that strategic philanthropy, dedicated leadership and aligned infrastructure can make in advancing innovation in medical education.” More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Matthew Brenden
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik New York Times Why Does Hair Turn Gray at a Young Age? by Karen Weintraub Q. What causes hair to turn gray? Why do some people go gray at a young age? Is there any evidence that rapid weight loss, slow weight loss or intense exercise accelerates graying? I’ve noticed that women in dieting “after” pictures commonly have a new hair color, while older male marathon runners are more gray and haggard than average…A. Hair goes gray as cells called melanocytes at the base of each hair follicle get damaged by disease, environmental exposures or age. Everyone has some gray hairs throughout life, but the balance tends to tip in the 40s or 50s, with the rate of change varying by genetics, gender and ethnicity, said Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic. Blacks tend to go gray later than Caucasians, with Asians falling somewhere in between. Women generally gray later than men. Reach: The New York Times has a daily circulation of nearly 649,000 and a Sunday circulation of 1.18 million. Context: James Kirkland, M.D., Ph.D. leads the Mayo Clinic Kogod Center on Aging. Dr. Kirkland's research focuses on the impact of cellular aging (senescence) on age-related dysfunction and chronic diseases, especially developing methods for removing these cells and alleviating their effects. Senescent cells accumulate with aging and in such diseases as dementias, atherosclerosis, cancers, diabetes and arthritis. Contacts: Megan Forliti HuffPost 3-D Mammograms And Molecular Breast Imaging Personalized Approaches To Breast Cancer Screening – A picture is worth a thousand words. While that saying may be true, for the more than 50 percent of all women who have dense breast tissue, a picture from traditional, 2-D mammography may not tell the full story about whether they have breast cancer. “Breast density is like the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Both tumors and dense breast tissue appear white on a mammogram. A traditional 2-D mammogram may not distinguish between the two. That’s why mammograms find as few as 40 percent of cancers in women with dense breasts,” says Deborah Rhodes, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic physician. Reach: Huff Post attracts over 38.7 million monthly unique viewers. Context: Individualized medicine, also known as personalized medicine or precision medicine, means tailoring diagnosis and treatment to each patient to optimize care. Patients have experienced this kind of care for a century and a half at Mayo Clinic, where teams of specialists have always worked together to find answers. Contacts: Susan Buckles, Colette Gallagher HealthDay Abused Women Prone to Unnecessary Ovary Removal: Study by Robert Preidt Women who are victims of abuse may be at increased risk for unnecessary ovary removal, a new study suggests. "Our current findings suggest that physical, emotional or sexual abuse predisposes women to seek medical attention for multiple gynecological symptoms, such as abdominal pain or excessive bleeding," said study co-author Dr. Liliana Gazzuola-Rocca. She is a health sciences researcher and psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic, where the study was done. "These gynecological symptoms may lead the women and their gynecologists to opt for removal of the reproductive organs at a young age -- even when these organs are completely normal," she said in a clinic news release. Reach: HealthDay distributes its health news to media outlets several times each day and also posts its news on its website, which receives more than 39,000 unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: Arizona Daily Star, Daily Mail, MinnPost, Medscape Context: Mayo Clinic researchers report that women who suffered adverse childhood experiences or abuse as an adult are 62 percent more likely to have their ovaries removed before age 46. These removals are for reasons other than the presence of ovarian cancer or a high genetic risk of developing cancer, says the new study published today in BMJ Open. In previous studies examining the effects of removing the ovaries of younger women, the research team has demonstrated a myriad of health risks resulting from ovary removal. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Elizabeth Zimmerman Young News-Press Mayo Clinic building wellness in diverse ways by Dr. Gianrico Farrugia and Dr. Tushar Patel Collaborative team science is at the heart of Mayo Clinic’s approach to finding answers and new treatments for complex diseases. Some of the world’s most celebrated medical advancements have been developed at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. For example, researchers have discovered genetic causes of neurological diseases and genes involved in the development and spread of cancer. Working side-by side, Mayo physicians and scientists seek to take these discoveries and accelerate their translation and application into life-changing therapies, surgical procedures and technologies. Clinical trials allow for new discoveries to be directly used for patient care. Patients at Mayo Clinic often are among the first to benefit from new therapies or innovative techniques through clinical trials. Because of research, more than 1.3 million people came to Mayo Clinic for care in 2016, seeking medical answers they hadn’t found anywhere else.— Gianrico Farrugia is a physician and CEO of Mayo Clinic’s campus in Florida. Dr. Tushar Patel is a physician scientist and Dean for Research at Mayo’s Florida campus. Reach: The News-Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper located in Fort Myers, Florida serving primarily Lee County, as well as parts of Charlotte and Collier Counties. The daily circulation is more than 56,000 and its website receives more than 858,000 unique visitors each month. Context: Gianrico Farrugia, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. Tushar Patel, M.B., Ch.B., is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and is dean of research at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus. Contact: Kevin Punsky El Paso Times Funding key for medical research by Wyatt Decker, M.D. We know the challenges of balancing innovation with costs. Make no mistake: Research isn’t an expense but an investment in our nation’s economy and health of our fellow citizens. Understanding the biological processes that contribute to human disease and proposing new treatments, as well as clinical trials and validation all take time and are necessary, and sometimes expensive, steps along the path to cures. That’s why we at Mayo Clinic, as a not-for-profit organization, heavily invest in medical research. NIH funding has remained flat over the past decade while Mayo Clinic has doubled its investment in research. Knowing that cancer rates continue to rise, our physicians and scientists are focused on fighting cancer – exploring the emerging fields of immunotherapy, regenerative medicine, individualized medicine, data aggregation and artificial intelligence. We do all we can to advance innovation. Reach: The El Paso Times is a local, daily newspaper published for the residents of El Paso, TX and Southern New Mexico. The daily circulation is more than 29,000 and its website has more than 537,000 unique visitors each month. Context: Wyatt Decker, M.D. is vice president, Mayo Clinic, and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Contact: Jim McVeigh KARE 11 Healthy summer grilling hacks Grilling season opens up plenty of opportunities to put healthy food on your plate. Chef Jen Welper, Wellness Chef at The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, stopped by the KARE 11 at 4 to share some tips on staying healthy while enjoying your grilled favorites. Reach: KARE-TV is the NBC affiliate serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul market. Context: The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program is redefining healthy living. It’s a comprehensive, whole-body wellness experience guided by medical research and evidence-based medicine to offer guests trusted solutions to improve quality of life. Contact: Kelley Luckstein
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. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Wall Street Journal Mayo Clinic’s Unusual Challenge: Overhaul a Business That’s Working by Ron Winslow Change is hard. It is especially hard when the organization in question is among the top in its field. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic, the 153-year-old institution that pioneered the concept of patient-centered care, considered it an ideal place to practice, one that wasn’t in much need of fixing. It is renowned for diagnosing and treating medicine’s most complex patients. Dr. John Noseworthy, Mayo’s chief executive officer, had a different view about the need for change. He saw declining revenue, he says, from accelerating efforts by government health programs, private insurers and employers to rein in health-care costs as a looming threat to the clinic’s health. Reach: The Wall Street Journal has a daily circulation of more than 1.3 million readers; its website has more than 43.5 million unique visitors each month and is one of the top national newspapers in the United States ranked by circulation. Additional coverage: Post-Bulletin, Furst Draft: Noseworthy says, 'The storm is still coming' Fierce Healthcare, Regulatory pressures force Mayo Clinic to rethink how it does business, cut costs Advisory Board, How Mayo Clinic overhauled its world-renowned care—and saved $900 million Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Mayo Clinic's pretty great — and that's a problem if you're trying to fix it Context: Mayo Clinic is recognized for high-quality patient care more often than any other academic medical center in the nation. These endorsements reinforce our century-old commitment to provide the highest quality care to each patient every day. John Noseworthy, M.D. is Mayo Clinic president and CEO. Contact: Traci Klein Washington Post Much shorter chemo works for many colon cancer patients, study says by Laurie McGinley Many colon cancer patients can cut their chemotherapy regimen in half, improving their quality of life and reducing their chances of having debilitating side effects, according to a major international study released Sunday. “It's really good news,” said senior author Axel Grothey, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minn. “Our goal is to help patients have lower toxicity, while not reducing its efficacy.” Reach: Weekday circulation of The Washington Post is more than 356,000. The Post's website receives more than 32.7 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: KMSP, Cancer Network, Cure, Medscape, MedPage Today, Star Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, Post-Bulletin, Healio, Chicago Tribune, BioWorld Context: Axel Grothey, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic oncologist. Contact: Joe Dangor WCCO Mayo Clinic’s High-Tech Analysis Helps Improve Your Golf Swing & Prevent Injuries Some golfers are getting help to play it safe before they ever set foot on a course, Angela Davis reports. Reach: WCCO 4 News is the most-watched newscast in the Twin Cities, in 5 out of 7 newscasts. Context: Whatever your age or current skill level, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine golf specialists deliver a comprehensive and individualized approach to improve every aspect of your game. It starts with a thorough assessment of your golf skills, as well as analysis of your flexibility, strength and balance, and how they impact your performance. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson ActionNewsJax Thyroid medication incorrectly dosed by Kaitlyn Chana Thyroid medication is the most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S. also may be one of the most overprescribed for older individuals. Mayo Clinic Endocrinologist Dr. Robert Smallridge told us about 40% of patients on thyroid medication in the United States are not taking the right dose. He says roughly 25 million individuals are taking one form or another of thyroid medication. “The thyroid controls almost every system in our body,” said Smallridge. Doctors explained its important patient’s alert their physician if there are no changes after taking this medication. This way there is a plan to try and figure out the root of the reoccurring symptoms. “I look at the average patient list and they are on 10 different medications and you look at the side effects of those medications,” said Smallridge. Reach: WAWS-TV/30 is the Fox affiliate. WTEV-TV/47 is the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida. Context: Robert Smallridge, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. Contact: Paul Scotti