Arizona

PHOENIX — A new protocol at Mayo Clinic in Arizona allows select patients to have an MRI exam even though they have a pacemaker. ...

PHOENIX – Mayo Clinic is the only medical center in Arizona to provide a new treatment for select patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, ...

PHOENIX — The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees welcomed Michael Dougherty, founder and chairman of Dougherty Financial Group LLC, as a new member during a ...

PHOENIX — Empowering patients during the course of their treatment is the goal of a new book, Navigating Life with a Brain Tumor, written by ...

Scottsdale, Ariz. — James A. Levine, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic and a world-renowned leader in obesity research and child advocacy, has ...

PHOENIX — Described as a "big step forward" for research and treatment of Parkinson's disease, new research from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun ...

PHOENIX — In what is a first for the Valley in more than two decades, a 17-year-old girl from Glendale, Ariz., became the recipient of a pediatric liver transplant on Dec. 6, the result of collaboration between Phoenix Children's Hospital and Mayo Clinic in Arizona. It is also the first living donor pediatric liver transplant in the Valley. The milestone surgery was all the more unique in that it was a living donor liver transplant, meaning that a donor offered to give up part of her liver to be transplanted into the recipient. Both the donor and the recipient livers will regenerate within a matter of weeks. The donor, a 35-year-old woman from Oklahoma, underwent comprehensive medical and psychological testing to be qualified as a match for the recipient. The donor is the godmother of the recipient, and has known her since she was born. The first surgery began at Mayo Clinic Hospital at 7:30 a.m. when part of the donor's liver was removed in a 3½ hour procedure led by David Mulligan, M.D., Director, Transplant Center, Mayo Clinic in Arizona. The partial liver was put on ice and transported to Phoenix Children's Hospital, where it was transplanted into the recipient. Pediatric liver transplants are primarily done when the child has primary liver disease that may progress to death, with the risk of death that outweighs the risk of transplantation. The recipient's surgery was led by Winston Hewitt, M.D., liver transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic and surgical director of the Phoenix Children's Hospital Pediatric Liver Transplant Program. Medical director of the program is Tamir Miloh, M.D., Phoenix Children's Hospital. Both patients were reported to be doing well following the combined 8½ hour surgeries. The program marks the only such pediatric program in the Phoenix area for pediatric patients. Previously, patients had to travel to Tucson or out-of-state for the surgery. Certification for the Phoenix Children's Hospital Pediatric Liver Transplant Program was granted by the United Network for Organ Sharing in March 2012, paving the way for the first such program in Arizona to provide an integrated, child-centered liver transplant program that takes place within a dedicated pediatric hospital.

PHOENIX — Researchers have found that using telemedicine to deliver stroke care, also known as telestroke, appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals that do not have an around-the-clock neurologist, or stroke expert, on staff. The research, published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, is intended to help hospital administrators evaluate telestroke. In telestroke care, the use of a telestroke robot allows a patient with stroke to be examined in real time by a neurology specialist elsewhere who consults via computer with an emergency room physician in the rural site. "Previous studies have demonstrated that a hub-and-spoke telestroke network is cost-effective from the societal perspective — we can assess medical services, like telemedicine, in terms of the net costs to society for each year of life gained," says neurologist Bart Demaerschalk, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic Telestroke Program, and co-author of the telestroke cost effectiveness study. "However, to date the costs and benefits from the perspectives of network hospitals have not been formally estimated." Contrary to a common perception that a telestroke referral network poses a substantial financial burden on hospitals, the study revealed that it is likely to save hospitals money and also improve patient outcomes by enabling patients to be discharged sooner. "The health economic results from an earlier study conducted from the societal perspective convincingly demonstrated that telestroke was cost effective compared to the usual model of care," says Dr. Demaerschalk. "It's a relatively small amount of money, comparatively, telestroke costs a couple thousand dollars more to save quality years of life — so it's a bargain really." The Circulation study estimates that compared with no network, a telestroke system of a single hub and seven spoke hospitals may result in the use of more clot-busting drugs, procedures and other stroke therapies, more stroke patients discharged home independently, and despite upfront and maintenance expenses, a greater total cost savings for the entire network of hospitals. Using data from Mayo Clinic and the Georgia Health Sciences University telestroke networks, the research model estimated that every year, compared to no telemedicine network, 45 more patients would be treated with intravenous thrombolysis and 20 more with endovascular stroke therapies — leading to 6.11 more independent patients discharged home. This represents more than $100,000 in cost savings for each of the participating rural hospitals each year, according to the study. "If the costs associated with the technology are reduced or if reimbursement opportunities increase we will recognize that this treatment method may, in fact, save even more money," Dr. Demaerschalk says. "The upfront costs associated with setting up the telestroke technology and managing the network organization are quickly offset by the financial gains that result from a higher proportion of patients receiving clot busting drugs and the reduced stroke-related disability and subsequent reduced need for rehabilitation, nursing home care and assistance at home."

YUMA, Ariz. — November 26, 2012.  Mayo Clinic officials today announced Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The collaboration between YRMC and Mayo Clinic physicians will be rolled out initially through Yuma Regional Cancer Center, with opportunities for physicians from both organizations to work together in additional specialties in the future. The Mayo Clinic Care Network extends Mayo Clinic's knowledge and expertise to physicians and providers interested in working together in the best interest of their patients. YRMC physicians now will be able to connect with Mayo Clinic specialists on questions of patient care using an electronic consulting technique called eConsults. YRMC physicians also will have access to Mayo-vetted medical information through the AskMayoExpert database. These tools, in addition to health care consulting, will help YRMC provide the best care for its patients as well as improve its systems and the health of the community. "We're proud to welcome the Yuma Regional Medical Center care team to the Mayo Clinic Care Network," says Wyatt Decker, M.D., vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Building a closer relationship with Yuma Regional Medical Center through the Care Network provides an opportunity for our two organizations to work together in new ways to provide specialized care, which ultimately enhances the lives of patients throughout Southwestern Arizona." "YRMC and Mayo Clinic both believe that health care should be delivered as close to home as possible," says Pat Walz, President and CEO of YRMC. "By working together, physicians can improve the delivery of health care so patients need to travel outside the region for care only when absolutely necessary. Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Care Network members share a common philosophy, commitment and mission to improve the delivery of health care. And the primary goal of the network is to help people gain the benefits of Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise close to home, ensuring that patients need to travel for care only when necessary. The Mayo Clinic Care Network represents non-ownership relationships. Network members are like-minded organizations committed to the delivery of high-quality, collaborative medical care for their communities.

YUMA, Ariz. — Mayo Clinic officials today announced Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The collaboration between YRMC and Mayo Clinic physicians will be rolled out initially through Yuma Regional Cancer Center, with opportunities for physicians from both organizations to work together in additional specialties in the future. The Mayo Clinic Care Network extends Mayo Clinic's knowledge and expertise to physicians and providers interested in working together in the best interest of their patients. YRMC physicians now will be able to connect with Mayo Clinic specialists on questions of patient care using an electronic consulting technique called eConsults. YRMC physicians also will have access to Mayo-vetted medical information through the AskMayoExpert database. These tools, in addition to health care consulting, will help YRMC provide the best care for its patients as well as improve its systems and the health of the community. "We're proud to welcome the Yuma Regional Medical Center care team to the Mayo Clinic Care Network," says Wyatt Decker, M.D., vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Building a closer relationship with Yuma Regional Medical Center through the Care Network provides an opportunity for our two organizations to work together in new ways to provide specialized care, which ultimately enhances the lives of patients throughout Southwestern Arizona." "YRMC and Mayo Clinic both believe that health care should be delivered as close to home as possible," says Pat Walz, President and CEO of YRMC. "By working together, physicians can improve the delivery of health care so patients need to travel outside the region for care only when absolutely necessary. Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Care Network members share a common philosophy, commitment and mission to improve the delivery of health care. And the primary goal of the network is to help people gain the benefits of Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise close to home, ensuring that patients need to travel for care only when necessary.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — A program at Mayo Clinic using telemedicine technology is showing promise for patients with concussions in rural Arizona. A case study published in the December 2012 issue of Telemedicine and e-Health validates "teleconcussion" as a useful means to assess concussed patients. In the case study, doctors at Mayo Clinic in Arizona conducted a live audio-video evaluation of a 15-year-old soccer player in Show Low, Ariz., who received a concussion during a game. The teleconcussion evaluation, believed to be the first in the state to use telemedicine for concussions, supports the use of this technology to bring concussion expertise to rural locations. Similar telestroke, teleneurology, and teleepilepsy programs have been operating at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for several years. More than one-third of rural Arizona lacks access to the kind of neurological expertise found in metropolitan areas. Mayo Clinic's program aims to address this disparity by providing support through these programs. With telemedicine technology, use of a specialized remote controlled camera system allows the patient in the rural setting to be "seen" by the neurology specialist — in real time. The Mayo Clinic neurologist, whose face appears on the screen of the monitor, consults with physicians at the rural sites and evaluates the patient via Internet-based computers. "When a community doesn't have ready access to providers trained in the recognition and management of concussion, concussed athletes sometimes go unrecognized or returned to play prematurely potentially subjecting them to more serious injuries," says Bert Vargas, M.D., neurologist and assistant professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Teleconcussion can help triage patients and help identify which people are in need of additional workup or management. In the case of sport-related concussions, this technology can provide rural physicians with assistance in making decisions about when athletes can safely return to play." Click here to hear Dr. Vargas talk about teleconcussion and the case study. Dr. Vargas says that this technology is welcome news for doctors in rural areas, especially in light of the concussion law in Arizona. SB 1521, which was signed into law in 2011, mandates evaluation and clearance athletes with concussions by trained health care providers. "Despite the current culture of increased awareness and recognition of concussions, concussed athletes go unrecognized — even at the professional level," Dr. Vargas adds. "Many professional sports organizations have voiced the need for neurologists to be on the sideline to make rapid authoritative decisions regarding return to play for athletes suspected of having a concussion. Teleconcussion may eventually be a way to address the logistical issues associated with having a neurologist on the sideline of every professional and collegiate level sporting event."

PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic kidney transplant patients were entertained by "American Idol" finalist and Scottsdale resident Scott MacIntyre as they gathered for their annual transplant ...