Tag: Health

Business Innovation with an “Eye” on Improving Vision

If eyes are the window to the world, Timothy W. Olsen, M.D. is building high performance window frames. With a passion for restoring vision, the ophthalmologist set sights on developing and bringing to market a first-of-its-kind device for treating age-related macular degeneration. The synergies around the Destination Medical Center economic initiative and Mayo Clinic’s research and practice community prompted him to move his business and clinical/surgical practice from Atlanta to Rochester, Minnesota.

“The business environment is second to none. Mayo has made a statement through Destination Medical Center that it wants to be an innovation center for medical technology,” says Dr. Olsen.  “That combination of business, technology and connection to Medical Alley bio businesses in Minnesota makes this is a really good place to develop and commercialize medical devices.”

Destination Medical Center is a 20-year, multibillion dollar public-private partnership to position Rochester as a global destination for health care, biotechnology and life science discoveries. The money supports public infrastructure and does not go to Mayo Clinic. The convergence of entrepreneurship, medical expertise and regulatory support, Dr. Olsen says, is the perfect place for a successful product launch.

“Destination Medical Center is the City of Rochester, Olmsted County and the state of Minnesota. With those components, hopefully there will be private sector support as well as the opportunity for engaging with people involved in funding early stage start-up companies, including venture capital funding opportunities,” says Dr. Olsen.

A new device for age-related macular degeneration

Macular degeneration affects more than 3 million Americans and is the leading cause of vision loss for people over 50. There is no cure or treatment in the early stages. Patients with end-stage macular degeneration may be suitable for monthly eye injections, but that is expensive and inconvenient. The disease process usually progresses despite the injections.   

That’s where Dr. Olsen’s business comes in. His team is advancing research on a surgically implantable device, using a technology that was first conceived at the University of Minnesota and patented through Emory University. That device acts as a window or picture frame holding regenerative tissue in place to support the macula at the back of the eye, potentially reversing vision loss and preserving the function of the macula.  

The National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer grant for a one year, phase one feasibility study. The grant goes directly to Dr. Olsen’s company, located in the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator, with sub grant funding for pre-clinical research at Mayo.

“The goal of this research grant is to support scientists launching commercialization of a product rather than the researcher studying technology from an outside company, in an effort to speed the movement of a product from the research lab into the marketplace,” says Dr. Olsen.

Kicking off 2017: DMC puts you in the middle of it all

The DMC vision is not one that can be accomplished alone – or overnight. But with the advancements that took place on the DMC Development Plan over the past year, Rochester is well on its way to becoming a premier global medical destination.

It doesn’t take an urban planner to recognize the qualities it takes for a city to be successful. DMC is in the middle of it all: growth, investment, culture, community, innovation… the list goes on. And Rochester is hitting the mark on each attribute, ensuring 2017 will be another year of success.

Growth: A map on the DMC website highlights the fourteen projects currently in various stages of development in the DMC district, including the Alatus Development Project in St Marys Place (#14), the Titan-OPUS Project in Discovery Square (#3), and the Lofts at Mayo Park in the downtown Waterfront (#9), just to name a few.

Investment: Private investment gained significant momentum during 2016 that put DMC on course to reach the $200 million threshold that unlocks $585 million in public funds spanning over 20 years.

Heart of the City: Where healthcare meets hospitality

Progress continued in the Heart of the City today as the Community Advisory Committee made its recommendation for the team charged with designing the DMC sub-district’s public space.

HeartOfTheCityThat recommendation is RSP Architects, a Minneapolis-based architectural firm with offices in Rochester, Phoenix, and other locations, and includes Coen Partners (Twin Cities), which will serve as lead landscape architect; 9.Square (Rochester), which will provide urban design, architecture, planning, and community engagement; HR&A Advisors (New York), which will provide open space development, management, and strategy services; and Kimley-Horn (St. Paul and Rochester), which will provide civil engineering, transportation, and DMC plan continuity.

Enhancing indoor quality of life: The Well Living Lab

logo-tmOn average, Americans spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors. From living and working to shopping and working out, exposure to indoor environments is at an all-time high. The Well Living Lab, a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and Delos, is exploring how our health and wellbeing is affected by all of the time we are spending inside.

Well-Living-Lab-image-1024x5761-1024x576
Rendering: Well Living Lab

The purpose of the Well Living Lab is to study these indoor environments and create healthier indoor spaces in which to live, work, and play. Focused exclusively on human-centered research, the lab is the first of its kind. By maintaining an unprecedented degree of control over the research variables it is testing, the researchers are able to manipulate and test almost any type of indoor environment.

In Rochester, every police car carries a defibrillator

Roger White, M.D.
Roger White, M.D.

Roger White, M.D., a Mayo Clinic expert in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest intervention, tells NBC Nightly News (Oct. 22, 2013) about the pioneering program that put defibrillators in every police car in Rochester, Minn. The program is saving lives because first responders no longer have to wait for the paramedics to begin life-saving care. “Whoever gets there fast enough is the one who saves the patient,” says Dr. White.

A fresh twist on bland hospital food

Chef Justin Johnson picks banana peppers in the garden at UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center. (Photo from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Chef Justin Johnson picks banana peppers in the garden at UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center. (Photo from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

The term “hospital food” often conjures up images of clear broth and mashed potatoes, with a splash of color from an occasional Jell-o square.

But Justin Johnson, executive chef at UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center, is “pulling the plug on heat-and-serve-chicken, frozen vegetables and prepackaged pudding,” according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, which profiled the hospital’s new approach to hospital nourishment in August of 2012. The article includes some of his recipes – such as Roasted Yellow Heirloom Tomato Bisque and Steamed Little Neck Clams and Mussels with Roasted Fennel and Yellow Coconut Curry Broth.

Johnson incorporates fresh vegetables from a new 11,000 square-foot garden on the hospital’s grounds. The hospital also sources ingredients from a farmers market it hosts every Thursday in front of the hospital. Patients are able to order from room service at times convenient for them. And a new bistro featuring delicious and locally-sourced fare will serve employees and visitors.

Johnson’s efforts garnered him a nomination for a National Restaurant Association Award in the “Operator Innovations in Sustainability” category.

Not bad for a 50-bed regional hospital in a rural community between Madison and Milwaukee.

It gets one thinking about the possibilities with DMC – to have an organization like Mayo Clinic work with local farmers and farmers markets, to promote sustainability, to make nutritious foods fun, exciting and palatable, and to get rid of the institutional Jell-o once and for all.

Rochester offers health care that is world-class. Many local restaurants such as Sontes, Prescott’s and Four Daughters Winery are already developing locally-grown and sustainable menus that are being met with rave reviews. Having an organization like Mayo Clinic promote healthy lifestyles through its food service would continue to help set it apart from its competitors.

Do you think it’s a good idea? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Rochester’s potential for an active and healthy future

Nicole Yates, Blog Author
Nicole Yates, Blog Author

Hi, my name is Nicole Yates. I was born and raised here in Rochester. I graduated from Century in 2009 and the University of Minnesota Rochester in 2013. I plan to get my Masters in Healthcare Administration from Saint Mary’s University. I would like to find a job here and one day start a family. I have enjoyed growing up in a city where health is the main focus. This is the primary reason why I have chose the path I am on.

From the beginning I have been excited about DMC and all the potential opportunities it will bring to Rochester and the state of Minnesota. In 10-20 years Rochester will be a global destination. People will enjoy coming here not only to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic, but to engage in all the activities and culture Rochester will have.

Rochester offers a wide range of sports and recreation activities. We have three amateur sports teams: Rochester Giants (football), Honkers (baseball), and the Ice Hawks (hockey). I have been to a Honkers and Ice Hawks game, but have yet to make it to a Giants game. I also enjoy going to Quarry Hill, especially in the fall to hike. Besides hiking I love spending time by the water. At Silver Lake you can rent canoes and paddle boats for a small fee and spend the afternoon on the water. Finally, Rochester is currently in the process of completing their Master Bike plan which will allow cyclists to travel anywhere in the city by bike safely.

I hope as Rochester continues to grow in the next few years  we can have more 5k’s. For example, something similar to the Tough Mudder, it could be held at Skyline speedway. Many patients who travel here bring their families, however they do not always have a car. It would be convenient to have a bowling alley and arcade located downtown for patients families and people traveling here for sports tournaments that do not want to venture far. A nice miniature golf course or water park would be fun for families too. It would be neat for families who want to go on the bike trails, but who were unable to bring a bike, have a place to rent them. In the Twin Cities they have eco bikes. You can rent them for a small fee, ride around, and drop them off at the same or different station. Finally, a drop in work out center that is inexpensive and located downtown would be beneficial for patients and their families.

What are sports and recreation activities you enjoy in and near Rochester? What else can Rochester do to promote a healthy community? Share your thoughts by commenting below.