In 1931, Dr. William J. Mayo observed, "Each day, as I go through the hospitals surrounded by younger men [and women], they give me of their dreams and I give them of my experience, and I get the better of the exchange."

Nearly a century later, these sentiments still ring true. Residents and fellows not only uphold the values of Mayo Clinic but also have an immeasurable influence on patient care, research, education and the communities where they train. As Mayo Clinic marks National Thank a Resident and Fellow Day on Friday, Feb. 28, it recognizes the countless contributions that its residents and fellows make.

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the residents and fellows who have entrusted us with their training. These professionals represent our future workforce," says Annie Sadosty, M.D., dean of the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (MCGSME). "Graduate medical education is essential to what we do at Mayo Clinic, and we appreciate the commitment and compassion that our trainees bring to our institution. Every day, but especially today, we want to tell our residents and fellows 'Thank you for all that you do.'"

MCSGME's residents and fellows don't just make a mark in our hospitals, they deliver the Mayo Model of Care to their local communities and beyond through service learning and volunteering.

Here is what some local leaders had to say about our residents:

"From the very beginning, The Salvation Army Good Samaritan Health Clinic has been dependent on the volunteer time of residents from Mayo Clinic. Thirty years later, the residents who volunteer at the Good Sam remain essential. They provide care our patients wouldn't be able to access anywhere else. They give both care and compassion to people who are very ill and often very afraid. We are so grateful to the many residents who have volunteered, and who currently volunteer, to make our clinic a place of refuge for thousands in need of healthcare. From our whole team at The Salvation Army, thank you!"

Cornell Voeller, Major, corps officer for business
The Salvation Army, Rochester, Minn.

"The Landing MN would like to express our deepest gratitude for your incredible work and dedication. Witnessing your compassion and commitment to serving Rochester community members experiencing homelessness has been truly inspiring. The empathy and care you show are a testament to the exceptional training you're receiving at Mayo ... and it gives us so much hope for the future of healthcare. We want to especially recognize the advent of the psychiatric support provided by you in our clinic, and the incredible impact made by this novel approach to mental healthcare. Thank you for all that you do; you make a profound difference in the lives of so many."

Alex Hurlebaus, executive director
The Landing MN, Rochester, Minn.

"Serving our small, rural Minnesota town and its surrounding areas, our Mayo Clinic family medicine residents are the Center Clinic. For 20 years, our residents have provided compassionate and humanizing care to those with minimal resources. They extend Mayo Clinic's mission to those who would otherwise lack access. They inspire hope, promote health and make our community a better place. On this Thank a Resident Day, we celebrate their heart, leadership and commitment."

Cesar A. Gonzalez, Ph.D.
president, Center Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

"We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our amazing Mayo Clinic residents and fellows who give of their time and compassionate services to the patients in our Sulzbacher clinics. The weekly 'Mayo Learners Clinic' is a blessing to Sulzbacher, the vulnerable patients that we serve and to the community at large. If it were not for you, these patients might not receive the treatment that they need and would end up even more ill and in an emergency room or worse. Thank you, Mayo residents and fellows, for your critical partnership, service and empathy. We appreciate you more than you know."

Cindy Funkhouser, president and CEO
Sulzbacher Center, Jacksonville, Fla.

"By adding residents and fellows to our amazing provider team at Volunteers in Medicine we are reaching a new level of care. The residents and fellows add fresh eyes and ideas to our clinic and in turn are mentored by experienced MDs with a wealth of knowledge. Our patients enjoy seeing the residents and fellows and comment on the thoroughness of their visits and compassionate care given. Thank you!"

Suzanne Taylor, chief operating officer
Volunteers in Medicine, Jacksonville, Fla.

"We love our Mayo residents! They travel from all over the country to come to Winslow Indian Healthcare and provide care on the Navajo Nation. They are really insanely smart, incredibly diligent and thoughtful and considerate to the culture and socioeconomic considerations of care out here. We love getting to work with them and are always eager to see where they go!"

Evan Pulvers, M.D.
medical education site director, Winslow Indian Healthcare Center/Dilkon Medical Center, Arizona

"The providers and staff at Circle the City are grateful for the Mayo residents and their commitment to their rotation at Circle the City.  Their engagement and their commitment to work with our staff to serve the most vulnerable in our community is a testament to the type of physician they are striving to be."

William Ellert, M.D.
chief medical officer, Circle the City, Arizona

"At the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, we are so grateful to have the Family Medicine residents working at our clinic!  They are thoughtful, compassionate and thorough. They provide an invaluable service to our vulnerable patient population. A heartfelt thank you to all the residents!"

Lori Whitis, M.D.
medical director, Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, Wisconsin

About Thank a Resident and Fellow Day

More than 2,000 residents and fellows are enrolled in 309 specialty programs across Mayo Clinic. In 2018, the Gold Humanism Honor Society dedicated a day of recognition to residents and fellows, encouraging medical students at chapters throughout the nation to show their gratitude and appreciation. Thank a Resident and Fellow Day has since expanded to hundreds of programs around the country. You can view more on the Mayo Clinic Thank a Resident and Fellow Day web page.

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It's been a year since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the U.S. Since then the U.S. has seen more than 25 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 400,000 deaths. This has taken a significant emotional toll on the nation.

COVID-19 is a disease that affects the entire health care system, and emergency medical teams are often on the front lines receiving infected patients. The challenges have been numerous as symptoms varied, screening protocols changed, and lifesaving treatments have been developed.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Dr. Annie Sadosty, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine physician, reflects on this past year and the ever-changing battle against COVID-19.

Watch: Dr. Sadosty discusses a year of treating patients with COVID-19.

For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a nonpatient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date. 

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Learn more about: Tracking COVID-19 and COVID-19 trends

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Emergency medicine and managing the COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In an effort to reduce the burden on hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to lower the risk of disease transmission, people are asked not to go to emergency rooms if they think they may have COVID-19 symptoms but otherwise feel okay. Instead, they're asked to call their primary care provider to discuss their symptoms and testing options.

However, Dr. Annie Sadosty, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine physician, has this important message for those wondering what they should do if they have a medical emergency, COVID-related or not:

Watch: Dr. Sadosty discusses emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Annie Sadosty are in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy "Annie Sadosty, M.D. / Emergency Medicine / Mayo Clinic."

"The Emergency Department staff are here for you, and if you feel that you have an emergency, COVID-related or not, don’t hesitate to access the help that you need. We are here and want to care for you," says Dr. Sadosty. "We are here 24/7/365 for patients who need us. And I would say that if you think you have an emergency, evaluate in your head whether you should call 9-1-1 or not, but don’t avoid the Emergency Department because it may very well be the best place for you."

Dr. Sadosty says staff is ready to take care of emergencies of all kinds and have taken steps to lower the risk of transmission to keep patients and staff safe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patients who develop any emergency warning signs for COVID-19 should get medical attention immediately. The warning signs include, but are not limited to:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or lethargy
• Bluish lips or face

If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the operator that you have or think you may have COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before medical help arrives.

For those who do not have any emergency warning signs but think they may have COVID-19, however, Dr. Sadosty says the first step is to call your primary care provider.

"If you merely are concerned that you may have COVID-19 and think that you need testing, there are other venues that I would encourage you to access by calling your primary care provider, who can then direct you to the many different options, whether in the clinic, in a drive-thru testing area, or otherwise," Dr. Sadosty says.

For the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, check the CDC website. For more information and COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

The post When to seek emergency care during COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Emergency medicine is a specialty that prides itself on a mantra: anyone, anything, anytime. The COVID-19 pandemic has put emergency health care providers and first responders on the front lines, fighting the spread of the virus and caring for critically ill patients.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Annie Sadosty, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine physician, discusses when patients should come to the emergency room, how to safely care for people with COVID-19, and how teams at Mayo Clinic are collaborating during the pandemic.

Click the player below:

Mayo Clinic Q&A is available on podcast platforms including Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and iHeart. 

Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for additional updates on COVID-19. For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Emergency medicine in the time of COVID-19 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Three Mayo Clinic hospitals have received the Vizient 2019 Bernard A. Birnbaum, M.D., Quality Leadership Award for high-quality patient care.

This award honors superior performance among academic medical centers; large, specialized complex care medical centers; and community hospitals nationwide for delivering safe, timely, effective, efficient and equitable patient-centered care.

"Congratulations to the three Mayo Clinic hospitals that received the 2019 Quality Leadership Award," says Henry Ting, M.D., chief value officer, Mayo Clinic. "This award reflects the very best of Mayo Clinic's total commitment to patient care, the extraordinary depth and breadth of Mayo's medical practice, and the remarkable impact that each and every Mayo Clinic employee makes every day."

Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester ranked No. 3 among 93 academic medical centers. Mayo Clinic Hospital in Florida ranked No. 1 among 79 large, specialized complex care medical centers. And Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing, Minnesota, ranked No. 2 among 95 community hospitals.

This was the fourth consecutive year that Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing was in the top three.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized at the national level for the quality of care patients receive at Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing," says Annie Sadosty, M.D., regional vice president, Southeast Minnesota Region, Mayo Clinic Health System. "We believe our patients experience the best of both worlds: compassionate, personalized care delivered close to home, with all the expertise of Mayo Clinic available to support local providers instantly through telehealth and digital technologies."

The awards are based on the results of a quality and accountability study that help hospitals enhance patient care. The Institute of Medicine's six areas of care — Safety, Timeliness, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Equity and Patient-Centeredness — guided how the study criteria were structured.

The study includes data from Vizient's clinical and core measures databases, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network.

Vizient Inc. was founded in 2015 as the combination of VHA Inc., a national health care network of not-for-profit hospitals; University HealthSystem Consortium, an alliance of the nation's leading academic medical centers; and Novation, the health care contracting company they jointly owned.

The awards were presented Sept. 19 during the 2019 Vizient Clinical Connections Summit in Las Vegas.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic again receives top honors for high-quality patient care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. ─ Five Mayo Clinic sites have received the Vizient 2018 Bernard A. Birnbaum, M.D., Quality Leadership Award for high-quality patient care.

This award honors superior performance among academic medical centers and community hospitals nationwide for delivering safe, timely, effective, efficient and equitable patient-centered care.

“We are honored that five Mayo Clinic sites received the 2018 Quality Leadership Award,” says Paula Santrach, M.D., chief quality officer, Mayo Clinic. “This recognizes our staff’s total commitment to patient care and the extraordinary depth and breadth of our medical practice.”

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota ranked first among 99 academic medical centers. Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida ranked third. Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Arizona ranked sixth. Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, ranked eighth among 100 teaching medical centers. And Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing, Minnesota, was second among 93 community hospitals.

This was the third straight year that the Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing was in the top three.

"This award validates that patients receive exceptional Mayo Clinic care in our community practices,” says Annie Sadosty, M.D., regional vice president, Southeast Minnesota region, Mayo Clinic Health System. “As we invest in world-class expertise, services, technologies and facilities, patients can not only get better, but live well close to home.”

This is the first year Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire was recognized.

“This is truly an honor,” says Richard Helmers, M.D., regional vice president, Northwest Wisconsin region, Mayo Clinic Health System. “I’m so proud of our staff that tirelessly works every day to ensure the needs of our patients come first.”

The awards are based on the results of a quality and accountability study that help hospitals enhance patient care. The Institute of Medicine’s six areas of care – Safety, Timeliness, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Equity and Patient-Centeredness – guided how the study criteria were structured.

The study includes data from Vizient’s clinical and core measures databases, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network.

Vizient Inc. was founded in 2015 as the combination of VHA Inc., a national health care network of not-for-profit hospitals; University HealthSystem Consortium, an alliance of the nation's leading academic medical centers; and Novation, the health care contracting company they jointly owned.

The awards were presented on Oct. 4 during the 2018 Vizient Clinical Connections Summit in Las Vegas.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Media contact:

• Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic again receives top honors for high-quality patient care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the amount of milk the average American drinks has declined almost 40 percent since 1970. On Mayo Clinic Radio, nutrition and preventive medicine specialist Dr. Donald Hensrud discusses the decline in milk consumption and other hot nutrition topics. Also on the program, infectious diseases specialist Dr. Pritish Tosh covers prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. And, emergency medicine physician Dr. Annie Sadosty explains common reasons people visit the Emergency Department.

The post #MayoClinicRadio Podcast 6/4/16 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Nutrition/STDs/Visiting the Emergency Department: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, June 4, at 9:05 a.m. CDT, and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Nutrition/STDs/Visiting the Emergency Department appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, June 4, at 9:05 a.m. CDT.

Miss the show?  Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Nutrition/STDs/Visiting the Emergency Department appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.