Mayo Clinic Statement Regarding Helicopter Crash

December 26th, 2011 - 3:47 pm

Updated statement as of 4:00 pm Eastern Time, December 26, 2011

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 26 — A helicopter transporting two members of Mayo Clinic’s transplant team crashed this morning while traveling to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville to procure an organ. The medical team consisted of Mayo Clinic cardiac surgeon Luis Bonilla, M.D., and procurement technician David Hines. A helicopter pilot who was not employed by Mayo also died in the accident. No patients were on board.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of those involved in this tragedy. This is a great loss to the Mayo Clinic family and the transplant community,” said William Rupp, M.D., vice president of Mayo Clinic and chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic in Florida.

“As we mourn this tragic event, we will remember the selfless and intense dedication they brought to making a difference in the lives of our patients,” said John Noseworthy, Mayo Clinic president and chief executive officer. “We recognize the commitment transplant teams make every day in helping patients at Mayo Clinic and beyond. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”

Mayo is working internally to support the family and employees of those lost in this unfortunate tragedy.

The helicopter was owned and operated by an outside company.

Related posts:
All “Helicopter Crash” Stories published by Mayo Clinic

Download files:
Hi-Res photo of Dr. Luis Bonilla: http://db.tt/BEf78aHF (JPG)
Hi-Res photo of David Hines: http://db.tt/RkWDunq6 (JPG)
Hi-Res photo of Bonilla/Hines together:  http://db.tt/eXIqamoM (JPG)

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Transplant programs at Mayo Clinic: MayoClinic.org/transplant

We welcome you to share your condolences, thoughts and feelings in the comments below. 

 

By Karl Oestreich | Posted in Transplant | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (14)

Friends don’t let friends fall off their diets during the holidays

December 22nd, 2011 - 4:32 pm

“C’mon. One bite’s not going to hurt you.” “It’s the holidays. Live a little.”

There’s one in every crowd: holiday diet saboteurs. Whether it’s among co-workers, family or friends, they’re out there. And although their intentions might seem harmless enough, they can derail months of someone’s effort to lose weight.

Elizabeth Lindsay, a health educator in Weight Management Services at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wis., offers advice on how people can stay on track with their weight loss goals amid saboteurs during the holiday feasting season.

“Successful weight loss is about successful behavior modification,” Lindsay says. “And because we’re social people, when we change our own behavior, it affects others in some shape or form. So it’s not surprising that people do encounter some ‘push back’ from others when trying to lose weight.”

When caught in a situation where someone is applying food pressure, Lindsay suggests using a stock response, like these:

• “No thanks. I’m already really full.”
• “It looks great. Maybe you could wrap some up for me to take home for later?”

If you know someone on a diet, here are ways to be a food friend rather than a foe:

• Offer to take a walk instead of going out to eat for lunch
• Become a “get healthy” buddy by offering encouragement instead of peer pressure
• When bringing treats to the office or throwing a party, offer low-calorie alternatives
• Ask what you can do to be supportive

For information about Mayo Clinic Health System weight management programs and education groups, or to sign up for a free orientation, call 715-838-6731.

By sharontheimer | Posted in Mayo Clinic Health Systems | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center invites you to give blood – the gift that saves lives.

December 22nd, 2011 - 3:36 pm

The month of December is traditionally a difficult time to collect blood, thanks to seasonal illnesses and the hectic holiday schedules that many of us keep. Unfortunately, our patients’ need for blood typically increases this time of year. Given this situation, Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center staff invite you to consider making blood donation part of your holiday traditions. During this gift-giving season, please remember that donating blood is a gift that saves lives and requires no shopping, wrapping paper or postage.

“Many people don’t realize that we cannot manufacture a substitute for blood. So our volunteer donors truly provide a life-saving resource for Mayo patients. Please consider rolling up your sleeve and giving the gift of life to someone less fortunate,” says Manish Gandhi, M.D. medical director of Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center.

Please share this idea with friends, co-workers and family members and encourage them to join our donor family. We have 3 permanent locations for your convenience: in the Hilton Building downtown, on the main floor of Saint Marys Hospital, and at IBM (for IBM employees only). Walk-ins are welcome, and we provide free childcare and parking at our Hilton Building donor center. For more information about Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center, call 284-4475, or visit our Facebook page or our website at: www.mayoclinic.org/donate-blood-rst.

By makalajohnson | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fighting Cancer 40 Years Later

December 22nd, 2011 - 2:45 pm

December 23rd marks the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971. The bill strengthened the National Cancer Institute and helped establish much of the funding and research infrastructure required to mount a national effort against cancer. James Ingle, M.D., director of the women’s cancer program at Mayo Clinic and co-director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center’s Breast Cancer Special Program Research Excellence reflects on the changes that have taken place in breast cancer awareness, research and treatment over the past 40 years. In this interview he speaks with Medical Edge reporter, Vivien Williams.

By joedangor | Posted in Cancer | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Obesity Lowers Survival Chances After Esophageal Cancer Surgery

December 20th, 2011 - 9:55 am

Journalists:  For links to video and audio files, see the bottom of this post.

Obesity doubles the risk of cancer recurrence and cancer-related death in patients with esophageal cancer who have been treated with surgery, researchers at Mayo Clinic found. Their 778-patient study, which appeared in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that five-year survival in obese patients — those with a body mass index of 30 or higher — with esophageal cancer was 18 percent, compared to 36 percent in patients of normal weight.

The research is the first to find that obese patients with esophageal cancer have worse outcomes following surgery than patients with a normal weight, says lead investigator,

Harry Yoon, M.D., an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Obesity is considered a risk factor in the development of this cancer, which is known to be both highly lethal and increasingly common,” he says. “But prior to this study, we did not really understand the impact of obesity in this upper gastrointestinal cancer.”

Journalists: The following video and audio clip are available for download and use in your stories.

Reaction to findings:      MOV     MP3

Below is a YouTube video of Dr. Yoon that you can embed with your stories.

By joedangor | Posted in Cancer, Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mayo Clinic Experts Offer Tips for Successful New Year’s Resolutions

December 19th, 2011 - 2:37 pm

As the New Year rolls in, many people will be looking to better themselves by resolving to lose weight, quit smoking and manage stress. Sticking to  resolutions for more than a few weeks, however, is a lofty task that takes a great deal of motivation and even lifestyle changes.

Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss tactics to help people meet and keep their health goals in 2012 and shed light on why it can be so challenging, including:

Why It’s So Hard to Stick to New Year’s Resolutions

Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin

Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Psychiatrist and addiction expert 

Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., can explain the psychology behind difficulties keeping resolutions. Truly bettering yourself is a lifestyle change, not a spur-of-the-moment type of decision, he says.


Managing Stress with a Mind-Body Approach

Dr. Amit Sood

Amit Sood, M.D.
Complementary and integrative medicine

Ongoing stress negatively affects health, happiness, relationships and quality of life. Amit Sood, M.D., is a specialist in mind-body approaches to decrease stress and enhance resilience, well-being and coping skills.

Dr. Sood has also developed the Mayo Clinic Meditation iPhone app and is the author of Train your Brain, Engage your Heart, Transform your Life.

Keeping the Weight Off
Diane Dressel, registered dietitian
Mayo Clinic Health System 

Losing weight is a popular resolution this time of year, but most people are unsuccessful. For more than 25 years, Mayo Clinic Health System registered dietitian Diane Dressel has helped people reach their weight-loss goals. She offers this advice:

  • Make your weight loss a priority.
  • Know that it’s going to take a lot of work.
  • Don’t give up.
  • Do your homework before selecting a weight-loss program.

For more of Dressel’s tips, visit her Web feature, Food for Thought, which is updated regularly.

Quitting Smoking for Good
Richard Hurt, M.D.
Nicotine Dependence Center 

As most people know, smoking is among the most addictive habits, and sometimes it takes a smoker many attempts to quit. It’s not just about willpower. Research shows that certain people have a harder time quitting and that finding the right treatment approach for stopping tobacco use is essential.

Richard Hurt, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center and a former three-pack-a-day smoker, has spent more than 30 years researching nicotine dependence and helping people quit smoking.

Here’s a brief video of Dr. Hurt discussing addiction and smoking.

To schedule an interview with any of these experts, please contact Nick Hanson at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

By nickhanson | Posted in Education, General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Preventive Medicine, Psychiatry/Psychology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Mayo Clinic Physicians Named to National Melanoma Dream Team

December 16th, 2011 - 2:14 pm

Mayo Clinic’s Aleksandar Sekulic, M.D., Ph.D. and Svetomir Markovic, M.D., Ph.D. have been named to The Stand Up To Cancer (SUTC) and Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) Melanoma Dream Team.

The Dream Team, an all star line up of national melanoma experts, will receive $6 million over the next three years to investigate the use of individualized therapy for patients with BRAF Wild-Type (BRAFwt) metastatic melanoma, a deadly sub type of the disease for which there are currently few treatment options.

The study, which will involve nearly 50 scientists and 150 patients from more than a dozen cancer centers, universities and research institutes, will be headed by Dr. Jeffrey Trent, Ph.D., President and Research Director at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, and Dr. Patricia LoRusso, D.O., Director of the Eisenberg Center for Experimental Therapeutics at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.

Dr Sekulic, who will be leading Mayo Clinic’s part of the team’s research efforts, says the study is unique in that this will be the first time personalized medicine will be applied to patients with advanced melanoma.

“The backbone of this research will be a clinical trial for patients with the BRAFwt melanoma. Each of these patients will have their tumors analyzed genomically,” said Dr Sekulic. “With the sequencing performed on these tumors, we will attempt to match available therapies against the defects found in those tumors,” he added.

Patients who develop metastatic melanoma (stage 4 disease) have a dismal prognosis, with a median historic survival of six to nine months and a five-year survival rate of 15 percent to 20 percent.

Dr. Sekulic anticipates patient accrual for the trial will begin in mid-2012 at Mayo Clinic’s sites in Arizona, Rochester and Jacksonville.

By susanashephard | Posted in Cancer, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Medical Experts for Media – Allergy

December 16th, 2011 - 9:33 am

 Douglas Nelson. M.D.
Adela V. Taylor. M.D.

___________________________________________________________________________

Douglas Nelson. M.D. – a specialist in pediatrics and adult allergies

  • Allergy/Immunology
  • Pediatrics

 Media Experience:

Local media interviews (both LIVE and taped) for all media outlets (radio, TV, newspaper, magazine).

 To schedule an interview, call:

 Rick Thiesse, Media Specialist, Mayo Clinic Health Systems, La Crosse (608-392-9435)

___________________________________________________________________________

Adela V. Taylor. M.D. –a specialist in allergy and asthma.

  • Pediatric asthma
  • Food allergies
  • Atopic dermatitis
  • Medication allergy
  • Mastocytosis
  • Urticaria
  • Angioedema

 Media Experience

Broadcast, radio and print interviews. Articulate, good vocal inflection and personable.

 To schedule an interview, call:

Media Relations Coordinator, Eau Claire, Paul Meznarich (715-838-5805)

___________________________________________________________________________

By kelley luckstein | Posted in Allergy | Leave a comment

Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota Renew Historical Commitment

December 15th, 2011 - 3:41 pm

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Mayo Clinic today hosted University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler, Ph.D., to sign a renewal of a memorandum of understanding, tour Mayo Clinic, and meet with University of Minnesota students who are training and practicing at Mayo Clinic. During the visit, Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota leaders stressed a long and cherished tradition of collaboration.

According to research released by the Battelle Technology Partnership Practice in 2010, Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota have a combined $18.5 billion economic impact on the state of Minnesota. Mayo Clinic, an academic medical center, is the state’s largest private employer, and the University of Minnesota is the state’s largest institution of higher education.

“Truly, the histories of our institutions are intertwined. Mayo Clinic’s collaborative partnership with the University of Minnesota began in 1907, representing our first external collaboration, and remains a priority today,” says John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. “We are proud to work with the University of Minnesota to educate and conduct groundbreaking research. President Kaler’s visit today is the continuation of a relationship that has flourished for more than 100 years and that will continue to be important for our institutions for generations to come.”

“The University of Minnesota’s partnership with Mayo Clinic represents an incredibly powerful combination that is and will be a force for improving health outcomes in Minnesota and around the world,” says Dr. Kaler. “I am deeply gratified to renew this partnership that builds on our shared history and invites a future of imagination and innovation.” 

Examples of the century-long collaboration include:

  • 1907 – William J. Mayo, M.D., becomes member of University of Minnesota Board of Regents, beginning generations of Mayo Clinic service on the Board
  • 1915 – $1.5 million gift from Mayo brothers establishes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research at University of Minnesota
  • 2003 – University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic and State of Minnesota announce the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics (Partnership)
    • Published 94 peer reviewed papers in scientific journals as of July 2011
    • More than $82 million in external funding, resulting in an eventual estimation of
      2,464 jobs
  • 2008 – University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic create new, innovative models of education through Memorandum of Understanding
  • 2010 – Partnership announces “Decade of Discovery” with the goal of preventing, treating and curing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Drs. Noseworthy and Kaler renewed the memorandum of understanding to plan and implement collaborative education programs to support the state and region. Since the memorandum was first signed three years ago, Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota have begun numerous collaborative efforts, including the Bachelor of Science in Health Professions educational collaboration and the Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology consortium.

Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota are also engaged in the Partnership to position the state of Minnesota as a world leader in technology. As part of the Partnership, “Decade of Discovery” was born in 2010, where Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota scientists committed to curing diabetes in 10 years. Yogish Kudva, M.B.B.S., and Ananda Basu, M.B.B.S., M.D., of Mayo Clinic, and Steven Koester, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, presented an update of their Partnership research to Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota leaders during the visit.

By Bryan Anderson | Posted in Education, History, Research | Leave a comment

Feeling blue? Mayo Clinic doctor talks seasonal affective disorder

December 13th, 2011 - 3:52 pm

Journalists, scroll to the bottom of the blog for broadcast quality audio and video of Dr. Auger discussing SAD.

When fall colors fade and winter rolls in with its increasingly cold temperatures and dwindling daylight, there’s a good chance you’ve felt sluggish, moody and like you’re stuck in a funk.

Those symptoms are typical of someone experiencing seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a type of depression that typically occurs during the winter months.

Symptoms include sleeping too much, overeating, loss of energy, social withdrawal and difficulty concentrating. People residing in Northern latitudes are more likely to experience SAD.

While many people periodically experience some elements of SAD in winter , Mayo Clinic sleep specialist and psychiatrist Robert Auger, M.D., says you should seek professional help if your symptoms begin to affect your ability to perform at work and/or begin to take a toll on your personal relationships.  Seeking clinical help is particularly important if you begin to feel hopeless, or have thoughts of self-harm, he says.

Dr. Auger offers these tips to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the winter:

  • Get outside – There is no substitute for natural light. If you work during the day, try to go for a walk during a break or lunch.
  • Light therapy boxes can help boost your mood when you’re unable to get outdoors.
  • Get regular exercise – At least three times a week for 30 minutes.
  • Stay social – Interact with family and friends on a regular basis.

Dr. Auger and colleagues are currently conducting a light therapy trial to determine the most effective wavelength (color of light) to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Those interested in participating should contact the Mayo Clinic Study Coordinator at 507-284-5914.

Journalists: the following soudbites from Dr. Auger are available for use in your stories.

What is SAD:     MOV    MP3

SAD Symptoms:   MOV    MP3

When to Seek Help:    MOV    MP3

Current Research:   MOV   MP3

Below is a link to a youtube video that you can can embed with your stories.

By nickhanson | Posted in Psychiatry/Psychology | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)