Month: November 2013

Tree decorated with visions of Rochester’s past, future

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Festival of Trees Nov. 26-Dec. 1

Healthy City OrnamentVisions of Rochester, past and future, adorn the Christmas tree decorated by DMC ambassadors on display at the Rochester Civic Center as part of the 28th Hiawatha Homes Foundation’s Festival of Trees.

DMC ambassadors and Mayo Clinic employees Laura Zacharda-Jones and Tia Calvert designed the décor for the 8-foot tree. It’s decked out with white lights, green and white glass ornaments, photos showcasing Rochester’s past and mini chalkboard ornaments highlighting ideas for Rochester’s future.

“Our vision is to showcase Rochester throughout the years ? what it has been and what it could be,” says Zacharda-Jones, who has been a DMC ambassador since last spring.

She got involved out of curiosity and gratitude. “I kept hearing information on the bus (I commute from Kasson) and it didn’t match with what I’d been reading. I got involved to know the facts,” she says.

And, there’s a long family history with Mayo Clinic. Her mother came to Mayo Clinic from New Jersey to seek treatment in 1968.  Mayo Clinic doctors identified a disease that has impacted 10 of her mother’s 13 siblings and may affect future generations.  “I try to imagine what Rochester was like then,” says Zarcharda-Jones. “I’m happy to be involved, even if in a very small way, in helping make sure Rochester continues to be the destination for people like my mom and her family ? to find solutions and healing.”

The Festival of Trees is a fundraiser for Hiawatha Homes, which provides residential, in-home, and community-based choices for people with disabilities.

Watch a video of decorations being made.

Festival of Trees hours

Nov. 27-Nov. 30: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dec. 1: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More information: Hiawatha Homes Festival of Trees

DMC at the 2013 LifeScience Alley Conference Nov. 20

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Life science leaders from more than 450 organizations from 24 states and 10 countries were in Minneapolis Nov. 20 for the 2013 LifeScience Alley Conference: Healthcare Transformation – Surviving the Shift. DMC was there, too, listening and looking for opportunities to support and build biotech businesses.

From the keynote podium:

Dale Wahlstrom
Dale Wahlstrom

“Everyone knows the reputation of Mayo Clinic as the standard of quality and leading innovator in health care delivery. Those responsible for technology at Mayo are working overtime to meet the demands of the aggressive approach they are taking to advance the commercialization of their research and technology. As part of this effort, Mayo Clinic, the city of Rochester, Olmsted County, and the state of Minnesota have formed Destination Medical Center (DMC), a public private partnership focused on growing Rochester’s status as a global medical center while leveraging Mayo Clinic’s capabilities to accelerate research and entrepreneurial activity.  It is exciting to see.”

–        Dale Wahlstrom, president and CEO, LifeScience Alley

From conversations at the DMC booth:

“We are building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Rochester. Follow @mcbusaccel to be a part of it.”

–        Xavier Frigola, Ph.D., coordinator, Accelerator and Entrepreneur Programming for the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator, Rochester Area Economic Development Inc. 

“Minnesota houses the best leaders and collaborators in biotech.”

John Murphy, DMC, and Michael Kithcart, The Bailey Group
John Murphy, DMC, and Michael Kithcart, The Bailey Group

–        Michael Kithcart, senior consultant at The Bailey Group 

What ideas do you have to foster biotech collaboration and build the entrepreneurial ecosystem? 

Root River community members gather to learn about DMC

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Citizens from Lanesboro, Preston, Harmony, Peterson and other towns along the Root River came together at the Commonweal Theatre on Nov. 19 to learn more about DMC and its potential impact on communities near Rochester.

Thank you Root River Trail Partnership for hosting a wonderful event!

This crowd at the Commonweal Theatre
The crowd at the Commonweal Theatre

Check out the event coverage on KTTC-TV.

Community input kickoff in Post Bulletin

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Posters with dozens of ideas for the Destination Medical Center went up Nov. 14 in the windows of the Massey Building.
Posters with dozens of ideas for the Destination Medical Center went up Nov. 14 in the windows of the Massey Building.

The formal kickoff of the DMC community input phase made the Nov. 14, 2013, Rochester Post Bulletin, drawing attention to the “idea posters” unveiled this week.

“A group of 100 DMC ambassadors, members of the community who meet regularly and brainstorm about the expansion of Mayo Clinic and Rochester, came up with the idea of posting banners across the Massey Building on the corner of Second Street and First Avenue Southwest,” writes reporter Jeff Hansel.

His story noted that some ideas, such as “embrace winter” and make a “downtown playground” are a bit general, still others are quite specific.

Hansel wrote that the ideas intrigued Christina Snell, owner of Midwest Signtech, which created and installed the posters.

He writes that Snell didn’t know much about DMC — until she saw input for the posters. Her favorite idea: an ice-skating park downtown.

What’s your favorite idea?

 

 

Community idea posters go up today

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Posters showcasing dozens of ideas for a vibrant urban Rochester go up today in the Massey building, Second St. S.W. and First Ave. S.W., in downtown Rochester.

For the past four months, volunteer DMC ambassadors have collected scores of ideas about what would make Rochester the Destination Medical Center. Community members were asked to think creatively about what they would like to see in eight focus areas:DMC_Retail.Main

  • Livable City/Retail/Dining
  • Sports/Recreation/Nature
  • Hospitality/Convention
  • Commercial Research and Technology
  • Health and Wellness
  • Learning Environment
  • Arts and Culture/Civic/Entertainment
  • Transportation

Check out the posters. What’s your favorite idea? Not there? Add it here! We’re still dreaming, then comes planning and building a premier Destination Medical Center.