“That tells us that consumers understand there is a problem,” says Dr. John Wald, medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. “And we need to help in creating a fix.”

Dr. Wald says the solution will come through education and real-life strategies for shedding pounds. A starting point is to simply change how often you step on the scale.

In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Wald offers a new way to look at weight.

To listen, click the link below.

Don't wait on losing weight

The post Don’t wait on losing weight: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

New name and look, same great Mayo Clinic care

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As of April 1, an established and respected emergency medical service in the community has both a new name and look. Gold Cross Ambulance is now Mayo Clinic Ambulance.

Gold Cross Ambulance has been part of Mayo Clinic since 1994. The name change will clarify for patients and communities that Mayo Clinic provides their ambulance service, and will reflect the safe, high-quality care that continues to be available to them from Mayo Clinic paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

Ambulances, uniforms and building signage will be refreshed with a bold, consistent and highly visible design that aligns with the Mayo Clinic brand. The new look will roll out throughout 2019, first in Rochester, then in the other communities served by Gold Cross in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“It will take us several months to update our entire fleet of ambulances. We have 70 ambulances serving communities across parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, so we’ll take a phased approach to transitioning the fleet,” explains John Wald, M.D., a member of the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service board of directors. “For a while, people may see both Gold Cross and Mayo Clinic ambulances in their communities – but it’s always the same Mayo Clinic paramedics and EMTs caring for them.”

The ground ambulance service is just one of five service lines that previously operated under the umbrella name “Mayo Clinic Medical Transport.” This name now has changed to “Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service,” which includes the five integrated services that Mayo Clinic provides to communities:

• Ground ambulance (formerly Gold Cross, with 15 locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin)
• Air ambulance (Mayo One helicopter and airplane)
• Emergency communications (Emergency Communications Center)
• Education and training (for Mayo Clinic paramedics, EMTs and other staff, as well as community first responders)
• Community paramedicine (physician-ordered home care, currently offered in northwest Wisconsin)

Mayo Clinic Ambulance serves more than 120 Midwest communities, including Rochester, Albert Lea, Austin, St. Cloud, Duluth/Superior, Little Falls and others across a 16,000-square-mile service area.

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: 

• Glenn Lyden, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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ROCHESTER, Minn. – Mayo Clinic experts will be featured in “Health + Happiness With Mayo Clinic,” a new weekly half-hour program that will premiere on April 7 as part of the NBC Network’s Saturday morning programming block. With the addition of “Health + Happiness With Mayo Clinic” to the three-hour educational and informational programming block, “The More You Know,” viewers will continue to experience high-quality, inspiring stories about environmental stewardship, social innovators, health, civic engagement and diversity.

“Health + Happiness With Mayo Clinic,” which will be produced by Tremendous Entertainment, will showcase how simple lifestyle changes can significantly affect health, well-being and attitude. Host Joy Bauer, leading nutrition expert, influencer and “Today” nutrition and health expert for over a decade, will dish out helpful strategies on forming healthy eating habits. Joining Bauer as co-host will be Vivien Williams, who reports for Mayo Clinic News Network and has been sharing Mayo Clinic breakthroughs for nearly two decades, will bring science and innovation to the table on living a healthier and happier life.

Each week, the hosts, with the help of Mayo Clinic medical experts, will educate viewers on various topics that not only will teach teens and their families how to make better choices when it comes to healthy living, but also inspire new daily activities that promote better wellness. As teen viewers reach an age when they begin to make more of their own lifestyle choices, this series will help them form healthy habits that are critical to inspiring a lifelong interest in living well.

“Our goal is to offer practical tips designed to help the entire family – from babies to grandparents – live healthier and happier lives,” says Pritish Tosh, M.D., a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, who is medical editor for the program. “Individuals are constantly bombarded with health information online and in the media, and they don’t know what is credible. We will offer reliable information in a fun format.”

“This national program is an opportunity for Mayo Clinic to share its knowledge and expertise more broadly with easy-to-understand information teens and their families can use every day,” says John Wald, M.D., medical director for Public Affairs and Marketing at Mayo Clinic.

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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:

• Traci Klein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic experts to appear on new NBC program on Saturday mornings appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As game day approaches, Mayo Clinic and The Link have teamed up to announce the launch of RiseUpGifts.org as part of an effort  to raise awareness about sex trafficking and inspire people to make a difference by helping victims who have been trafficked.

The Link is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to helping youth and families overcome the effects of poverty and social injustice, including victims of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. Through the initiative with The Link, Mayo is offering an online gift registry, a site for people to purchase a gift of a daily necessity that will help victims of sex trafficking. A sampling of gift items includes socks, winter coats, basic clothing and blankets.

“This initiative has the opportunity to change the path of a victim’s life," says Arne Graff, M.D., medical director of the Mayo Clinic Child and Family Advocacy Center. "Many of these items may seem minor, but to someone trying to escape sex trafficking, they may be necessary for survival. When victims are rescued, they often don’t have any belongings except the clothes on their back. By offering support with these gifts, it allows victims to feel a sense of hope and to potentially become a survivor.”

According to research commissioned by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and conducted by the University of Minnesota, there is a correlation between large-scale events and sex trafficking; however, researchers note that it overshadows the fact that women, men and children are sexually exploited 365 days a year in communities large and small.

“There is no doubt that the hidden crime of sex trafficking is alive in the Rochester area, our surrounding communities, throughout the U.S. as well as globally,” says Sister Anne Walch of the Franciscan Sisters of Assisi Heights of Rochester, who advocates for human trafficking awareness. “This growing tragedy strikes at the core of what it means to be human and our Franciscan tradition of respecting the dignity of all God has created. There are signs of hope as more people network with others such as Mayo and other agencies to raise awareness of this modern day slavery and support those who have been victimized.”

Along with the Rochester Franciscan Sisters, Mayo Clinic participates in a broad coalition of Minnesota organizations to educate the public, train hospitality and transportation workers, and offer enhanced services to victims of sex trafficking.

“This initiative brings together experts who work with trafficking victims and who understand the challenges they must overcome in order to escape and eventually thrive,” says John Wald, M.D., medical director for Public Affairs and Marketing at Mayo Clinic. “I’m pleased that Mayo, as the largest private employer in Minnesota and a founding sponsor of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, is bringing this issue to light and collaborating with community groups to ensure that the Super Bowl leaves a positive, lasting legacy across the region.”

“The Link greatly appreciates Mayo Clinic stepping forward to lead a gift drive to help us provide essential items to help youth transition out of a life of sexual exploitation and into safety and healing,” says Beth Holger-Ambrose, executive director, The Link. “We feel incredibly inspired and thankful for their support of the anti-trafficking field.”

To make a gift, visit riseupgifts.org, which provides a secure system for making purchases. The Link will distribute gifts to victims.

In addition to the registry, Mayo encourages people to participate in RiseUpGifts.org by joining a social media blitz on Monday, Dec. 4, from 11 to 11:15 a.m. CST. The social media blitz is an effort to raise awareness of sex trafficking, and engage family and friends through social media networks. Find more information on Mayo Clinic’s Facebook page, facebook.com/mayoclinic.

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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. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

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

The post Mayo Clinic, The Link launch one-of-a-kind gift registry to help victims of sex trafficking appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Construction on the 16,000-square-foot project at Mayo Clinic Square is expected to begin in late April.

“This project builds on our commitment to patients in the Twin Cities area by providing more convenient and accessible sports medicine services,” says Edward Laskowski, M.D., co-director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. “This expansion allows us to serve our patients better by tapping Mayo Clinic’s expertise, cutting-edge technology, research and educational capabilities."

Physician services and select radiology services will be on the second floor, while MRI, rehabilitation and performance services will be on the third floor. The expansion calls for:

• Additional capacity for services from orthopedic, primary care and physical medicine and rehabilitation sports specialists (Specialized clinics include regenerative medicine, cartilage restoration, hip arthroscopy, multi-ligament knee reconstruction, injury prevention, and performance training for the athlete.)
• Additional sports medicine physician staff
• An advanced X-ray system that incorporates cone beam CT (and 3-D capabilities), fluoroscopy and fully robotic digital X-ray
• A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry system to measure bone density and body composition
• A second suite for musculoskeletal ultrasound and regenerative medicine procedures, such as platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow aspirate concentrate injections, and minimally invasive ultrasound technology to treat chronic soft tissue and tendon damage
• A biomechanics and movement analysis laboratory for sports medicine research
• Fifteen new patient exam rooms

Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine is adding a physical medicine and rehabilitation sports medicine fellowship in Minneapolis, starting this summer. Over the next two years, four physical therapists trained in sports medicine will join Mayo Clinic Square’s staff.

“Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine’s integrated and multidisciplinary team approach helps athletes of all ages and abilities optimize their performance, minimize risk and treat injury,” says Michael Stuart, M.D., co-director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. “This expansion will ensure that patients continue to get the world-class, whole-person care that is the hallmark of Mayo Clinic.”

“The expansion allows the Department of Radiology to provide additional services,” says Kimberly Amrami, M.D., division chair, Musculoskeletal Radiology, and physician lead for Mayo Clinic Square imaging. “We will be able to offer CT services for sports medicine applications, including those for extremities and the spine. Patients and clients will be able to receive bone density and body composition data. We will be able to deliver full-service sports medicine imaging services on-site.”

During construction, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine at Mayo Clinic Square will be open regular business hours.

Mayo Clinic is a global leader in sports and musculoskeletal injury prevention and rehabilitation, concussion research, diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, and surgical and nonsurgical management of sports-related injuries.

Mayo Clinic opened its 22,000-square-foot sports medicine facility at Mayo Clinic Square in October 2014. It is the preferred medical provider for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx.

“Mayo Clinic is excited to be part of downtown Minneapolis,” says John Wald, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs and Marketing. “This expansion reflects our continuing commitment to the health and wellness of the community, and the ongoing redevelopment and revitalization of this area.”

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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 mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

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

The post Mayo Clinic expands sports medicine facility in Minneapolis appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. – A new survey by Mayo Clinic revealed that more than two-thirds of African-Americans are concerned about their heart health (71 percent), which is significantly more than Caucasian (41 percent) or Hispanic (37 percent) respondents. Respondents from the South (51 percent) were also significantly more likely to express concern than those in the Northeast (39 percent) or West (35 percent).

These findings were uncovered as part of the Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup, which first launched in January 2016 and provides a quick pulse on consumer health opinions and behaviors at multiple times throughout the year.

“The Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup helps us to better understand the health knowledge and practices of all Americans, beyond the patients that walk through our doors,” says John Wald, M.D., medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. “With each survey, we’re able to pinpoint what we’re doing well as a nation and what needs improvement, so that we can create a dialogue about those important topics.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly Reller, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

Search engines help consumers learn more, manage health conditions

While many people joke around about “Dr. Google,” survey respondents confirmed that Americans find general search engines to be the most helpful tool in learning more about health conditions (71 percent) and proactively managing their health (62 percent).

When it comes to knowledge of heart health, doctors (81 percent) were cited as having the biggest influence on consumer knowledge, followed by family members (63 percent). The most likely reasons to think about heart health include:

• A family member or friend being diagnosed with heart disease (84 percent)
• Visiting a primary care physician (80 percent)
• Conversations with a significant other or children (69 percent)

1 in 4 has family history of heart disease before age 55

Nearly a quarter of respondents (24 percent) cited a family history of heart disease (i.e., heart attack, bypass surgery or stents before 55). This history impacted knowledge and behaviors for many respondents:

• Eighty-five percent answered that they were more aware of the symptoms of a heart attack because of their family history.
• Top lifestyle modifications due to family history of heart disease included making dietary changes (67 percent), monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol regularly (59 percent), and increasing exercise (51 percent).
• Among baby boomers, 53 percent of those with a family history of heart disease answered that they took a daily aspirin, and the same percentage kept an aspirin with them at all times.

When asked what they do to help prevent heart disease, men (68 percent) were more likely than women (60 percent) to say that they exercise regularly, and women (68 percent) were more likely than men (58 percent) to answer that they eat heart-healthy foods.

“Knowledge is power,” says Dr. Wald. “You can manage your risk for heart disease by taking proactive steps, such as improving your diet, exercising regularly, and keeping a check on your cholesterol and blood pressure. To top it off, Mayo Clinic now offers a blood test that can predict the likelihood of having a heart attack within one year, which helps us intervene early and prevent a heart attack before it happens.”

Click to see the entire National Health Checkup infographic.

Women exercise for weight loss; men exercise for recreation

The survey also explored healthy behaviors, such as exercise, revealing that men and women have different motivators. Women (70 percent) are more likely than men (60 percent) to exercise for weight loss or management; whereas, men (59 percent) are more likely than women (45 percent) to exercise for recreation. Less than half of respondents answered that they knew what their target heart rate should be during exercise. Maintaining a target heart rate can reduce the risk of overtraining or not training enough.

Job and/or school ranks as top stressor for Americans

Unrelieved stress can damage your arteries and worsen other risk factors for heart disease. When asked to pick the one factor that contributed the most to their level of stress over the past year, respondents were most likely to answer their job and/or school (29 percent):

• Baby boomers (17 percent) were more likely than millennials (10 percent) to cite politics as a top stressor.
• Hispanic respondents (41 percent) were more likely to answer job and/or school than Caucasians (27 percent) or African-Americans (18 percent).
• African-American respondents (20 percent) were more likely to list health issues as their primary cause of stress than Caucasians (10 percent) or Hispanics (4 percent).

“Our third National Health Checkup revealed that African-Americans not only are more concerned about their heart health, but they also experience significantly more stress as a result of their health issues,” says Dr. Wald. “It is clear that we need to help empower all Americans, and in particular those who are most concerned about their heart health, to help manage their risk. Discuss these concerns with your doctor, and know your family history.”

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About the Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup
The Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup was conducted through an ORC International Telephone CARAVAN survey of 1,005 adults living in the continental U.S. and was conducted Dec. 15-18, 2016. To learn more, visit healthcheckup.mayoclinic.org.

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/.

The post Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup shows African-Americans significantly more concerned about heart health appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

“That tells us that consumers understand there is a problem,” says Dr. John Wald, medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. “And we need to help in creating a fix.”

Dr. Wald says the solution will come through education and real-life strategies for shedding pounds. A starting point is to simply change how often you step on the scale.

In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Wald offers a new way to look at weight.

To listen, click the link below.

Don't wait on losing weight

The post Don’t wait on losing weight: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

“Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of men and women,” says Dr. John Wald, medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. “The encouraging news is people are taking action and making changes that can have a positive impact on their cardiovascular fitness.”

According to the latest Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup, three-quarters (74 percent) of Americans abstain from smoking to prevent heart disease, while nearly two-thirds exercise regularly (64 percent) or eat specific heart-healthy foods (63 percent).

“Men were more likely to exercise to improve their heart health, and women were more likely to alter their diet to improve their heart health,” Dr. Wald adds.

Watch: Dr. Wald comments on heart health improvements by gender.

Results also show, when there is a family history of heart disease, cardiovascular health becomes even more focused.

“Eight-five percent of Americans have a greater awareness of symptoms of a heart attack just based on the fact they’ve had a friend of a family member who has had a heart attack," Dr. Wald says.

Watch: Dr. Wald comments on heart health awareness through family history.

Because of a family history, two-thirds (67 percent) of survey participants say they have made dietary changes. Nearly as many (59 percent) began monitoring their blood pressure and cholesterol regularly. Approximately half (51 percent) increased exercise.

The survey also reveals African-Americans are most worried about their heart health with more than two-thirds (71 percent) describing themselves as concerned, compared to Caucasian (41 percent) and Hispanic (37 percent) participants.

“And they have a reason to be worried,” says Dr. Wald. “Even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of all Americans, African-Americans  die at a much higher rate than other groups within the U.S. So I think it’s a point that we have to address.”

Watch: Dr. Wald comments on African-American concern about heart health.

More than 1,000 people participated in the latest Mayo Clinic National Health Checkup conducted by phone in mid-December. All respondents were 18 or older.

Additional insights from the survey:

• Americans find general search engines such as Google and Bing the most helpful in learning about health conditions (71 percent) and proactively managing their health (62 percent).

• Doctors (81 percent) have the biggest impact on what Americans know about heart health, followed by family (63 percent), friends (46 percent) and the media (33 percent).

• The highest proportion of respondents (29 percent) said their job and/or school contributed the most to their stress level in 2016.

• The top reasons for exercising are cardiovascular health (66 percent), weight loss or management (65 percent) and stress relief (58 percent).

• Two in 5 (42 percent) Americans are aware of the target heart rate they should be achieving in aerobic exercise for their age.

The post Mayo survey: Americans taking action to improve heart health appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

“That tells us that consumers understand there is a problem,” says Dr. John Wald, medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. “And we need to help in creating a fix.”

Dr. Wald says the solution will come through education and real-life strategies for shedding pounds. A starting point is to simply change how often you step on the scale.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Wald offers a new way to look at weight in the New Year. Jeff Olsen reports.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Don’t wait on losing weight appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

"That's one of the benefits of this survey," explains Dr. John Wald, medical director for Public Affairs at Mayo Clinic. "It allows us to understand where there are gaps in information and to address them."

For example, Dr. Wald says 84 percent of survey participants indicated they would use a cancer prevention vaccine. However, only 40 percent of women and fewer than 10 percent of men currently get the cancer prevention vaccine for HPV.

"That tells us there is a disconnect," explains Dr. Wald. "And, that's an opportunity for us to create a new conversation."

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Wald starts that conversation with five simple cancer prevention strategies you can work into your life.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:56) is in the downloads. Read the script.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: 5 cancer prevention strategies appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.