Pulse on Health by Jeff Hansel

Dayton: Minnesota will lead health reform.... #RochMN

The office of Governor Mark Dayton announced a short while ago that he has signed an executive order establishing "a Vision for Health Care Reform in Minnesota."

"The order charges the Minnesota Health Care Reform Task Force, along with members of the Governor's Cabinet, to develop an action plan for reforming how we deliver and pay for health care in Minnesota," the announcement says.

Dayton focuses on Minnesota's historical leadership in health care and says "we must continue to innovate, and there is real urgency to our mission."

"Health care costs are rising at unsustainable rate, undermining the budgets of Minnesota families, businesses, and our state and federal government budgets," Dayton is quoted as saying. "The status quo is not good enough; we need to find new ways to delivering better quality health care at a lower price.  The mission of this task force is to provide recommendations about how we best can accomplish this."

His office notes that Minnesota will use the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, but "seize the initiative and set our own course for how we want to reform health care."

The Minnesota Department of Commerce will create a state "health insurance exchange."

"We know that we can get control of health care costs and also improve quality if we fix the incentives so that we pay for healthy outcomes," Dayton was quoted as saying.

Mayo Clinic here in Rochester, MInnesota has long advocated paying for health-care "value" (high quality health care at lower cost with better, safer patient outcomes).

Dayton's task force has these priorities:
• Improve access to health care for all Minnesotans
• Lowers health care costs by reforming how we pay for health care and changing the incentives, so we encourage preventative care and reward healthy outcomes, not sickness.
• Improves the health of all Minnesotans and address the huge health disparities that plague our state.

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Ghostbusters...!!! #RochMN

Here's a "frightfully" awesome display from some local kids here in Rochester, Minnesota as they participate in a flash mob attack in Halloween costumes Saturday.

They hit the scene in the downtown and attracted a crowd of spectators each time they danced during the weekend.

This 8 p.m. effort, I can tell you (since I was only wearing a jacket) was pretty chilly.

Congratulations to the kids — and their parents — for a job well done.

Download Flash Halloween dancing in the dark

 

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Deer hunter falls — 1 in 3 will during lifetime from tree stand....

Trauma surgeon Dr. David Ciresi at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin says he sees about 10 patients each year with "major injuries related to treestands — head or spinal cord injury, broken bones or hypothermia."

Those injuries, he says in a Health System public service announcement, "are 100 percent preventable."

"Nationally, one out of three hunters will fall out of their tree stand sometime during the course of their lifetime and, believe it or not, it's always preventable," Ciresi says in his "Have a Safe Hunt" video.

The only way to protect yourself, he says, is to prepare ahead of time. Key, he says, are tips that include:
• Tell someone where you're going in case you fall and break your neck. That way, if you can't reach for your cell phone, someone will know you're there.
• Draw a map for that person if it's an unfamiliar hunting area.
• Use a 5-point harness.
• Make sure that you're continuously strapped to the tree, especially when you're cold and tired and ready to leave.
• Always keep 3 points of contact on the tree (2 feet and 1 hand or 2 hands and 1 foot).
• Actually put on your harness — every time.
• Carry a global positioning system and a cell phone.
• Get good sleep and avoid alcohol the night before so you don't get drowsy (which can lead to injury).
• Know your limitations. If you're too heavy or too weak, a tree stand might not be appropriate for you. A ground blind can be just as effective.

Recognize that Ciresi's title TRAUMA surgeon means if this happens to you it's going to be serious and it's going to hurt. 

Better to instead watch his video and prevent your loved ones from ever getting a call that you've been injured seriously in a fall. Ciresi loves bow hunting himself. 

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

4 & 8 p.m. TODAY kids' Halloween flash mob... #RochMN

Seems like there's always something to do to stay entertained here in Rochester, Minnesota.

Having fun is part of a healthy quality of life.

So if you're in Rochester for medical care this weekend, and wishing you had something fun (and scary?) to do for a little while before your appointments next week, perhaps you'll get a chuckle visiting the Peace Plaza between the University of Minnesota Rochester and Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building. Locals will enjoy it too.

A local group has organized "flash mobs" of kids dressed as Halloween characters. They plan to show up again today (Saturday, October 29, 2011) at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

To find the event, look for the historic Plummer Building (the amber-colored brick building in the downtown skyline).

Walk up to the big metal doors (the ones with all the artwork imprinted) and go left around the buildings to the other side.

Before you get to the Peace Plaza (where the dove fountain is) you should spot kids in costume starting to show up a little before the hour each time.

At 1 p.m., the kids waited until the appointed hour and when music started playing, they started a well-rehearsed dance number, falling to the ground at first and then getting up to dance to the tune "Ghost Busters."

Fun to watch, and they drew more than 100 onlookers!

Feel free to take your own kids along (in costume or not), and wear your own costume if you want. Several adult onlookers were dressed up for the occasion. 

  

[Cell phone images of the 1 p.m. Halloween costume "flash mob" in downtown Rochester. Photos by Jeff Hansel. Please click to enlarge. Copyright.]

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Mayo Clinic Mall of America running clinic....

The Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center plans a Running Clinic at the Mall of America this coming weekend:
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, October 29, 2011
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 30, 2011

"Individual appointments are designed to help runners and walkers at any level help enhance performance and avoid injury during training," says an announcement from the clinic.

[Mayo Clinic's Mall of America clinical offices across from its retail store in Bloomington. Photo by Jeff Hansel. Copyright.]

Included in the two-hour, $250 session is in-depth analysis of your current gait and shoes and assessment of physical conditioning, "including strength, flexibility, and range of motion."

"A review of your running or walking form is conducted through videotaping and areas for improvement are identified," says a clinic announcement. "Following the consultation, you will receive instruction in pain and injury reduction strategies, as well as recommendations on how to make the most of a running or walking experience."

Appointments were still available as of Thursday by calling 952-854-6996.

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Awards... #RochMN

Mayo Clinic's national headquarters here in Rochester, MInnesota has announced the recipients of the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

The awards started in 1981, when the Mayo Board of Trustees created them "to show appreciation for the exceptional contributions of Mayo alumni to the field of medicine. Individuals who receive the award have been recognized nationally and often internationally in their fields."

Recipients include:

Dr. Richard Brubaker
Emeritus professor of ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

 

Brubaker "has played a large role in shaping the science of ophthalmology through research and patient care, the future of ophthalmology through mentorship of students and staff, and the progress of Mayo Clinic through administrative service."

 

Dr. Gene Hunder
Emeritus professor of internal medicine

"From his contributions to the clinical definition of the condition to groundbreaking pathogenic studies, Dr. Hunder is known worldwide for the research and treatment of vasculitis. He is particularly recognized and respected for his work in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica," says the Mayo announcement.

 

Dr. Keith Kelly
Emeritus professor of surgery

According to Mayo, Kelly's "contributions affected the practice of surgery and supported patient-oriented research. Dr. Kelly is an internationally known gastrointestinal surgeon and an expert in gastrointestinal motility. He performed innumerable studies on the clinical feasibility and effects of anal sphincter preserving operations and continence-producing operations after total colectomy."

Dr. Guillermo Ruiz-Argüelles
Director general, Centro de Hematologia y Medicina Interna de Puebla, Clinica Ruiz
Director, Teaching and Research Division, Laboratorios Clinicos de Puebla, Clinica Ruiz
Professor of Hematology, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla and Universidad de las Americas Puebla

He is "an internationally recognized hematologist who has made significant contributions to the management of patients with leukemia, lymphoma and aplastic anemia. His interests in hematology span from clinical care of hematologic malignancies to stem cell transplantation."

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Health education? Mayo Clinic open house.... #RochMN

The Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences plans an open house for prospective students.

The school's dean, faculty and staff are scheduled to attend.

The school offers 96 programs in 57 health-science fields. Students from various fields will be available to talk about the degree program you're interested in.

Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, November 1 (2011)

Location: Mayo Clinic Siebens Building, first floor, 100 Second Av. S.W. in Rochester. Go to the historic, amber-colored Plummer Building, stand between the Plummer Building and the Mayo Building (with the dolphin fountain behind you) and the Siebens Building is the one to the left of Plummer.

[The Mayo Clinic Plummer Building. Photo by Jeff Hansel. Copyright.]

With a degree from the school, you can focus on:
Athletic Training
Audiology
Cardiac Electrophysiology
Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist
Cardiovascular Perfusionist
Central Service Technician
Child Life Specialist
Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Clinical Neurophysiology Technology
Clinical Pastoral Education
Clinical Research
Cytogenetic Technology
Cytotechnology
Diabetes Intensive Training
Dietetics
Echocardiography
Endoscopy Nurse
Endoscopy Technician
Exercise Science
Genetic Counseling
Health Information Management
Hemodialysis Patient Care Technician
Histology Technician
Mind Body Medicine
Molecular Genetics Technology
Nuclear Medicine Technology
Nurse Anesthesia
Nurse Midwife
Nurse Practitioner
Nursing Clinical Education
Occupational Therapy
Pathologists' Assistant
Perioperative Nurse
Pharmacy
Phlebotomy Technician
Physical Therapy
Physician Assistant
Radiation Therapy
Radiography
Recreational Therapy
Respiratory Care
Social Work
Sonography
Speech Pathology
Surgical Technology
Wellness Coaching

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

CORRECTION CHS Stop Bullying kickoff 6:30 p.m. Thursday.... #RochMN

My apologies for entering the wrong time previously. Please note the kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Thursday, 10/27/11)

A community-wide Stop Bullying campaign kickoff is scheduled for Thursday (October 27, 2011).

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Century High School

To register: Call Child Care Resource & Referral, 507-287-2020 ext. 1321

"Parents will learn to recognize signs of bullying and address it, and students will learn how to advocate for themselves and be an ally to bullying victims," says an announcement from the Diversity Council in Rochester. "Help us save our youth."

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Gluten-free galas... #RochMN

Hy-Vee has been telling shoppers about "Gluten-free Galas" coming up:

• Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (2011) at Hy-Vee Barlow, 1315 6th Street N.W. here in Rochester, Minnesota.

• Saturday, November 19, 1 to 3 p.m. at Hy-Vee south, 500 Crossroads Drive S.W. in Rochester.

The event includes "tasting and recipes for all."

Why is gluten-free food preparation important?

A surprising number of people can not tolerate gluten in their diets.

Symptoms of celiac disease, which requires a gluten-free diet, include intermittent diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, says MayoClinic.com. Other symptoms can include irritability, anemia, upset stomach, joint pain, muscle cramps, skin rash, mouth sores, dental disorders and tingling in the legs and feet. Untreated celiac disease can lead to weight loss, weakness, foul-smelling or gray stools that may be fatty or oily, stunted growth in children and osteoporosis.

The Mayo website says "gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye."

"Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications," the clinic writes.

A variety of foods, such as beer and pasta and salad dressing contain gluten. So, according to Mayo, do products like lipstick and toothpaste. Many business now offer gluten-free foods. 

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Dr. Eric Grigsby Mayo Clinic Alumni Association president... #RochMN

Dr. Eric Grigsby has been elected president of the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association.

According to Mayo Clinic, Grigsby was elected at the group's biennial continuing education meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, where Mayo has a campus.

Mayo's national headquarters is here in Rochester, Minnesota.

The clinic's announcement notes that Grigsby is "founding medical director of the Napa Pain Institute, and chief executive officer of Neurovations, a Napa company specializing in pain and neuroscience research and clinical education."

According to the clinic, the Alumni Association board members are physicians and scientists who trained at Mayo.

Grigsby "led the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association Board in voting unanimously to establish the Mayo International Humanitarian Endowment to support programs that provide care to underserved patient populations around the world. Dr. Grigsby and his wife, Mary Rocca, also operate their foundation, HealthRoots, which provides care to underserved groups, most recently in Malawi, East Africa."

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the PostBulletin.com, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904 
Twitter Hansel's Pulse: @Jeff Hansel