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Mayo Clinic Radio Celebrates 25 Years on Air
Journalists are invited to attend a congratulatory event in which Drs. Noseworthy and Wald will speak briefly on June 16 in the Plummer Hall Reading Room, Plummer 14, at 5:15 p.m.
ROCHESTER, Minn. ─ Twenty-five years ago this month, Mayo Clinic Radio began broadcasting the latest medical and research information in a style that makes complicated topics relevant and understandable.
Tom Shives, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, has been hosting the program from the start. While he was recovering from his own surgery and unable to perform operations, he approached KROC AM 1340 in Rochester, Minnesota, about taking a turn reading the news. From that experience, an idea was born: delivering medical information for the consumer in an informative and educational format.
“When I designed the format, I tried to figure out what the public wanted and how we, as medical professionals, could help. I believe the public has an almost insatiable desire for medical news and information, and it’s important to provide the appropriate context and perspective, so listeners can make sense of it,” says Dr. Shives.
Now, co-hosting with radio veteran Tracy McCray, they both interview Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers every week. While Mayo Clinic Radio is based on medical advances and science, McCray brings the layperson’s perspective, helping the audience understand these subjects. “I’m not a medical professional, but I like to ask questions. I learn something each week from Dr. Shives and our guests. Hopefully, the listeners feel that way, too,” says McCray.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jen O’Hara, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu
One of those guests who has appeared on Mayo Clinic Radio, John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic, takes pride in how the program educates the public. “Congratulations to Dr. Shives and the Mayo Clinic Radio team for their dedication to share Mayo Clinic’s knowledge with patients and families over the past 25 years,” says Dr. Noseworthy. “As we look toward the future of health care, with the advances in research and science, Mayo Clinic Radio is positioned to communicate these important breakthroughs with the world.”
Mayo Clinic Radio is based in a new facility on Mayo Clinic’s Rochester, Minnesota, campus. John T. Wald, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist, who also serves as medical director, Public Affairs, says, “Our new multimedia studio and Mayo Clinic News Network provide our team with the tools to reach patients where they are, allowing our experts to provide perspectives on important topics like cancer, heart health, transplant, neuroscience, research and healthy living. Mayo Clinic Radio is broadcast on a weekly basis, but we also make it convenient for our audience to easily access this content on social media and mobile platforms.”
As Mayo Clinic Radio marks a quarter of a century on the air, it now can be heard on nearly 100 stations in the U.S. and Canada.
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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education, and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/.