Sharing Mayo Clinic - April 2013 Archives

Diane McIver’s first visit to Mayo Clinic mixed health care with pleasure – she and her now husband tagged their annual physical appointments with a trip to the golf course. At the time, they were just dating and enjoyed “a fabulous mini vacation combining our health care with an activity we both love!” exclaimed McIver.  Their first visit was around 10 years ago at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale but since they live in Atlanta, Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus has been their main location. It only takes a one-hour flight for them to get answers from Mayo Clinic. McIver and her husband have visited other facilities in Atlanta but enjoy the convenience, location and friendly staff at Mayo Clinic. “The people who work at Mayo Clinic are absolutely the friendliest, nicest, and most professional team I have ever been associated with,” says McIver.  With their Mayo Clinic care team, the McIvers are typically able to get all of their necessary exams done during the day and walk away with their test results at the end of the day. Through Mayo Clinic’s Executive Health Program, Diane is able to have her appointments fully coordinated with different specialists. Mayo Clinic has a unique model of care that facilitates efficient diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care all under one roof. “Our schedules are extremely busy in regards to our career…taking a one-hour flight to visit Jacksonville is the best time we could spend in regards to our health," says Diane.  Our experience at Mayo Clinic takes health care to another level that all people should experience if possible.” Related Departments Executive Health Program

"My sweet boy," Deborah Morey said as she practically skipped across the room to join him in a group photograph. The boy is her son, 15-year-old Curtis Morey, who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma (a type of brain tumor) on Jan. 27, 2012. The skipping at his Mayo appointment last week was one of several signs that March 28, 2013, was a happier milestone in Curtis' medical adventure. When the Moreys arrived for the appointment, Deborah was wearing a blaze-orange T-shirt with Curtis' picture on the front and the word "Curtify" printed across the back. Perhaps more surprising, the clinical assistant who greeted them wore a matching T-shirt. Inside, Curtis' doctor, Amulya Nageswara Rao, M.B.B.S., of the Mayo Clinic Children's Center, was (you guessed it) also was wearing the same shirt. The emotion in the room was palpable, a mixture of relief and elation. And for good reason -- last Thursday marked the beginning of Curtis' last chemotherapy treatment.

Jim Brooks was vacationing with his family in Spain when suddenly he couldn’t speak for 10 minutes and wound up in the hospital. Jim and his wife Louanne decided together they wanted to return to their Minnesota home and Mayo Clinic. Jim was diagnosed in August 2012 at Mayo Clinic with glioblastoma, stage 4 brain cancer: he had a ticking time bomb in his head. “Our first appointment was a week after we saw our family physician, and a week after that, I had surgery.  I am thankful for the rapid and coordinated care at Mayo Clinic, and people going the extra step when they didn’t have to,” he said.  Jim received care from not only the surgeon and the doctors, but also many others who were involved with his treatment. “Our sense is that we’ve interacted with somewhere between 100-200 people directly, and indirectly 1,000 people that had a part in my care,” said Jim.