Minnesota - August 2013 Archives

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 29, 2013 — Michael J. Fox is back in the spotlight this fall in a new sitcom "The Michael J. Fox Show" and spreading awareness about Parkinson's disease, a condition both he and his TV character have in common. Fox has been an outspoken advocate for Parkinson's disease research and awareness since disclosing his condition to the public in 1998. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: For more information and downloadable audio and video from Dr. Hassan about Parkinson's disease, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement and may cause shaking, muscle stiffness, slowing of movement, impaired balance or other symptoms. It impacts about 1 in 200 people, says Anhar Hassan, M.D., a Mayo Clinic movement disorders specialist.

Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center Celebrates 25 years ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 28, 2013 — Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center(NDC) in Rochester is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. As one of the first centers in the country to focus exclusively on treatments for tobacco dependence when it opened in 1988, the NDC has been at the forefront of the battle of nicotine addictionnationally as well as globally, offering the latest education and training programs, advancing research aimed at tobacco dependence interventions and offering treatment approaches to tobacco users. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video of Dr. Hurt is available for download from the Mayo Clinic News Network. Impact of the Nicotine Dependence Center More than 50,000 patients from 64 countries have been helped by the programs. Its educational conferences, workshops and training programs have reached more than 15,000 health care professionals worldwide. More than 1,300 health care providers have trained and become certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists. More than 25,000 study subjects have participated in 110 randomized clinical trials and other research related to public health issues around tobacco, nicotine addiction, treatment approaches and drug therapy options. This year, the NDC hosted its 20th annual internationaltobacco conference, an event that has drawn more than 4,000 attendees over the years. The NDC played a leading role in the 1998 monumental legal fight in Minnesota against tobacco companies.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug 26, 2013 — An increasing gap between the incidence of thyroid cancer and deaths from the disease suggests that low-risk cancers are being overdiagnosed and overtreated, a study from the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery finds. The study appears in the current issue of BMJ. "High tech imaging technologies such as ultrasound, CT and MRI can detect very small thyroid nodules many of which are slow growing papillary thyroid cancers, says the study's lead author Juan Pablo Brito, M.B.B.S. an endocrine fellow and health care delivery scholar at Mayo Clinic. "This is exposing patients to unnecessary and harmful treatments that are inconsistent with their prognosis."

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug 26, 2013  — Patients who had complex gynecologic surgery managed by an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) resulted in decreased narcotic use, earlier discharge, stable readmission rates, excellent patient satisfaction and cost savings, according to a Mayo Clinic study. The findings are published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio of Dr. Dowdy are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 21, 2013 — The Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation will hold Transform 2013, its sixth multidisciplinary symposium focused on transforming the way health care is experienced and delivered, Sept. 8–10 in Rochester. Dozens of speakers from a wide array of backgrounds will look through different lenses to understand a larger picture of health care today. Topics include new models of care delivery, the uncertainty of change in the health care landscape, the intersection of business and health care innovation and how to scale programs to large populations. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video of Dr. Nicholas La Russo and John Hockenberry available on the Mayo Clinic News Network

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 20, 2013 — Mayo Clinic has been awarded a $3 million grant from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research to establish the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for Senescence Research. The grant will support the laboratories' mission of exploring how age-related diseases and disorders are affected by aging cells and how eliminating these senescent cells can improve and extend life span. Jan van Deursen, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Mayo Clinic and recipient of the Vita Valley Professorship in Cellular Senescence, will serve as laboratory director.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 19, 2013 — The Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator has already filled all offices, with Boston Scientific, Clear Vision Consulting, Icon Venture Partners and Imanis Life Sciences as the newest tenants. It also has started a publicly available website as a resource for people considering entrepreneurship. In addition, the Accelerator will become a venue for special events and discussion groups led by business leaders. The Accelerator opened just five months ago and has 16 tenants, including start-up companies and venture capitalists. Three MBA students also have been housed in the Accelerator to work with the start-ups. All offices are rented on a month-to-month basis. Besides offices, the Accelerator has shared work spaces, some still available for leasing.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new population-based study has found that patients with glioblastoma who died in 2010, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 15, 2013 — Over the next few weeks, students will be returning to their classrooms for another school year. This can be a hectic time for students and parents: The to-do list may include health checkups, getting children into a sleep routine, planning healthy lunches or preparing students facing major transitions into a new grade or school. Mayo Clinic experts offer these tips on how to make the transition back to school less stressful. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio of the experts are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network. Vaccines Robert Jacobson, M.D., Mayo Clinic Children's Center pediatrician and vaccine specialist, advises parents to ensure their child has recommended vaccinations and be aware of changes to those recommendations. For example,

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Aug. 13, 2013 — Hispanic Network Magazine has named Mayo Clinic among the top institutions for employing Hispanics in science, technology, engineering and math. Earlier this year the magazine selected Mayo as a top hospital for Hispanics. The latest listing appears in the publication's Best of the Best issue this month. In a letter announcing the award to Mayo Clinic, Hispanic Network Magazine described its goal to create an environment of teamwork in which Hispanics and other minorities have access to all applicable business and career opportunities.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Aug. 12, 2013 — The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics announced four research projects selected for funding from the 2013 Discovery Transformation Grant Program. Together, the selected researchers were awarded a total of $2 million to support their work in diabetes research. Minnesota Partnership funding comes from money appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers what's known — and not known — about wheat or gluten sensitivity. ...