Minnesota - September 2014 Archives

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, which launched earlier this year, is expanding its wellness offerings to include a weight management plan and spa services. The Healthy Weight Plan and Rejuvenate at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program will open this fall and enhance the already popular wellness plans available for guests. “We are excited about taking wellness to the next level,” says Donald Hensrud, M.D., the program’s medical director. “Our expanded services embrace the idea of involving the entire body and mind. No matter your age or health needs, if you’re looking to better manage stress, lose weight, get active, or eat and cook healthfully, our program offers a diverse selection of wellness options for anyone seeking whole-body wellness.” Healthy Weight Plan Losing weight and making lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming. Mayo experts understand this challenge. The plan brings together the collective knowledge of weight management and behavior change experts.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic announced today that it is part of a team of research centers chosen by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment strategies for women with uterine fibroids. AHRQ has awarded the team a $3.95 million, first-year grant for the project, called Comparing Options for Management: Patient-Centered Results for Uterine Fibroids (COMPARE-UF). Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) will serve as the research and data coordinating center for the teams. “We are very excited to have funding to provide the key clinical evidence that all women and their physicians need to make informed choices about fibroid treatments,” says Elizabeth Stewart, M.D., chair of Reproductive Endocrinology at Mayo Clinic and the clinical leader of the study.

ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Here are highlights from the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Reprinting is allowed for a fee. Mayo Clinic Health Letter attribution is required. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Visit www.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.com or call toll-free for subscription information, 1-800-333-9037, extension 9771. Full newsletter text: Mayo Clinic Health Letter September 2014 (for journalists only). After celebrating, survivors often face anxieties and fear Adjusting from being a cancer patient to a cancer survivor isn't just about celebration and gratitude. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers why this transition isn’t always smooth or easy. In addition to dealing with fatigue or other side effects of surgery or treatment, patients may be surprised by feelings that can include fear and uncertainty, anxiety, sadness and irritability.

More than 8 of 10 say they would make same choice again, Mayo Clinic study finds ROCHESTER, Minn. — More women with cancer in one breast are opting to have both breasts removed to reduce their risk of future cancer. New research shows that in the long term, most have no regrets. Mayo Clinic surveyed hundreds of women with breast cancer who had double mastectomies between 1960 and 1993 and found that nearly all would make the same choice again. The findings are published in the journal Annals of Surgical Oncology. The study made a surprising finding: While most women were satisfied with their decision whether they followed it with breast reconstruction or not, patients who decided against reconstructive surgery were likelier to say they would choose to have both breasts removed again. In the reconstructive surgery group, women who needed additional operations due to complications, breast implant-related issues or other reasons were likelier to regret their prophylactic mastectomy, though overall, most women with breast reconstructions were satisfied with their choices. MEDIA CONTACT: Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

ASCO immediate past president and Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scientific Committee Chair to offer keynote address at Individualizing Medicine 2014: From Promise to Practice ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Mayo Clinic announced today that Clifford Hudis, M.D., immediate past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), will deliver the keynote address at Individualizing Medicine 2014: From Promise to Practice. Individualizing Medicine 2014 is scheduled for Oct. 6–8, with optional workshops and sessions before and after the conference. Presentations will cover a wide range of topics, including cardiovascular disease, the role of genomics in the pharmacy, insurance and reimbursement issues, the use of deep sequencing for predictive medicine, and more. A complete schedule and list of speakers is available on the conference website. Focused concurrent sessions are also available. MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Smith, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005,newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Lab b-roll and sound bites with Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., co-director, Individualizing Medicine Conference, are available in the downloads.

Startup company to offer next-generation sequencing-based pharmacogenomics interpretation ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic and venture catalyst Invenshure announce the launch of Oneome, a genomics interpretation company that exports Mayo’s extensive pharmacogenomics knowledge in the form of concise, actionable reports to help providers anywhere deliver the right medication at the right time. Oneome reports will focus on providing pharmacogenomically driven guidance for medications with high levels of evidence in medical literature. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Mayo’s collaboration with Oneome is led by the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. “Our own genetic makeup can have a significant impact on how our bodies process and use prescription medication, which in turn affects whether or not a drug works the way our doctor intended,” says Oneome co-founder John Logan Black, M.D., a Mayo Clinic physician and co-director of the Personalized Genomics Laboratory in Mayo's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. “We have developed sophisticated decision algorithms that can help providers use genomic testing to get their prescriptions right the first time.”

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine and colleagues at the National University Ireland Galway have signed a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to pave the way for joint clinical trials using regenerative therapies. The MOU follows years of close collaboration with NUI Galway’s Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) and the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB) and will focus on adult stem cell therapy, gene therapy, biomaterials and biomedical engineering. Furthermore, the agreement facilitates ongoing student and staff exchange between Galway and the United States. MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Schutz, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Windebank are in the downloads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B98ci3iAknE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA_8jbqIIiw&feature=youtu.be&hd=1 Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Rocca are in the downloads. ROCHESTER, Minn. — A collaborative study by researchers from Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University has measured multimorbidity — multiple diseases or medical conditions co-occurring in a single patient — and has determined which combinations of medical conditions are more prevalent by age, sex, and race/ethnicity in a geographically-defined Midwestern population. Investigators say that their findings, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, are valuable in light of the aging population, the need to plan and prioritize health care interventions, and have broad implications for clinical research. Using a list of 20 medical conditions developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the research team accessed records for over 138,000 persons who lived in Olmsted County, Minnesota, during 2010 via the Rochester Epidemiology Project. They concluded that multimorbidity is fairly common in the general population; it increases steeply with older age; has different combinations in men and women; and varies by race/ethnicity. MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Nellis, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — With the recent news about a large number of children affected by respiratory illnesses in the central U.S., Mayo Clinic Children’s Center pediatrician Phil Fischer, M.D., and pediatric infectious diseases specialist W. Charles Huskins, M.D., share information about these illnesses, what parents should look for and how to prevent them from spreading. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0tVevkVR8&feature=youtu.be&hd=1 Journalists: Broadcast quality video of Dr. Huskins are available in the downloads. Dr. Huskins explains that, based on a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sept. 8, it appears that infections in Missouri and Illinois are due to a previously known, but relatively uncommon enterovirus, called enterovirus D68.

DALLAS — Mayo Clinic and Methodist Health System (Methodist) officials announced today that Methodist has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Methodist, one of North Texas’ oldest nonprofit health systems, was selected following a comprehensive evaluation that ranged from its clinical and business practices to quality, safety and service efforts and patient satisfaction. Mayo Clinic and Methodist share a common philosophy and commitment to improve the delivery of health care through high-quality, collaborative medical care. “Methodist is home to some of the most accomplished and preeminent physicians in the Southwest,” says Stephen Mansfield, Ph.D., FACHE, president and CEO, Methodist Health System. “Working with Mayo Clinic through the Mayo Clinic Care Network will be accretive for Methodist physicians and will afford access to world-class Mayo Clinic specialization for patients treated at Methodist Health System.” The Mayo Clinic Care Network extends Mayo Clinic’s knowledge to physicians and providers interested in working together in the best interest of their patients. Methodist physicians will now be able to collaborate with Mayo Clinic on patient care, community health and innovative health care delivery. Using digital technology to consult and share knowledge, these physicians will have access to the latest evidence-based medical information and will connect with Mayo specialists on questions related to complex medical cases. MEDIA CONTACTS: Bryan Anderson, Mayo Clinic, 507-284-5005, anderson.bryan@mayo.edu Joe Brown, Methodist Health System, 214-947-4603, joembrown@mhd.com

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced plans to pilot Watson, the IBM cognitive computer, to match patients more quickly with appropriate clinical trials, beginning with research studies in cancer. A proof-of-concept phase is currently underway. “In an area like cancer —where time is of the essence — the speed and accuracy that Watson offers will allow us to develop an individualized treatment plan more efficiently so we can deliver exactly the care that the patient needs,” says Steven Alberts, M.D., chair of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic.   Researchers hope the increased speed also will speed new discoveries. Clinical trials provide patients with access to new and emerging treatments, yet enrolling participants in trials is one of the more difficult parts of clinical research. Currently it is done manually, with clinical coordinators sorting through patient records and conditions, trying to match them with the requirements of a given study protocol. At any given time, Mayo Clinic is conducting over 8,000 human studies in addition to the 170,000 that are ongoing worldwide. Watson’s cognitive computing ability will help sift through available Mayo clinical trials and ensure that more patients are accurately and consistently matched with promising clinical trial options.

Olmsted County area public and private schools offering school-located influenza vaccination clinics ROCHESTER, Minn. — “Everyone needs the influenza vaccine every year,” says Robert Jacobson, M.D., pediatrician and medical director of the Employee and Community Health Immunization Program at Mayo Clinic. “And school-aged children have two more reasons than everyone else. They are more likely to get the influenza infection, and they are the ones more likely to start the spread of influenza in the community.” Kids easily spread influenza, and they carry the virus home to their families. Kids miss school, and parents miss work. That’s why Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, Olmsted County Public Health and Olmsted County area private and public schools are teaming up to vaccinate children at their schools. “It’s like disarming the hot spot before it boils over,” says Linda Haeussinger, public health nurse manager at Olmsted County Public Health. MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdzWuYm2ra8