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A world-renowned clinic that President Obama held up as an example of good medicine said Monday that the American people would be "losers" under the House's health care proposal, joining the growing chorus of critics the Obama administration is trying to fend off as the debate intensifies from Capitol Hill to Main Street. Minnesota's not-for-profit Mayo Clinic, which Mr. Obama has repeatedly hailed as offering top quality care at affordable costs, blasted the House Democrats' version of the health care plan as lawmakers continue to grapple with several bills from each chamber and multiple committees. The Mayo Clinic said there...

The Mayo Clinic, which President Obama has touted as a model for the rest of the health care system, has delivered a blistering critique of the House Democratic health care bill: "Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite."

Even dumber than the time he claimed Caterpillar had promised to re-hire workers if the stimulus passed, only to have the CEO tell reporters about five minutes later that the stimulus wouldn’t work fast enough to let them re-hire workers. And the Mayo shall lead us: Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.

President Obama has repeatedly praised Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic as a role model for health care. But the Mayo Clinic is not so enamored of the House Democrats’ health care reform bill. On the Mayo Clinic’s health care blog, the clinic’s reaction was thus: “Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite. “In general, the proposals under discussion are not patient focused or...

Concern about how a public health care plan might affect Minnesota's health care system dominated a public forum on Friday sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Dr. Douglas Wood, who chairs the clinic's division of Health Care Policy & Research, said a public plan modeled after the Medicare system has the potential to do serious harm to health care in states like Minnesota where quality is high and costs are low. "If it's a government-run plan with government price controls, that could be highly detrimental to states like Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and all across the northern tier of the United States," Wood...

President Obama often points to the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as one model for repairing the nation's health care.In interviews he has cited statistics showing that the Mayo Clinic spends 20% to 30% less on health care than other hospitals yet produces better patient outcomes. Some industry watchers point to Mayo's staffing model — primarily its practice of hiring doctors as salaried staff rather than independent, fee-for-service contractors. Hiring its own staff gives Mayo more control over its doctors, says Jason Gurda, a hospital analyst at Leerink Swann. "Most hospitals don't tell doctors what to do — they...

Clinic researchers are reporting positive results in early leukemia clinical trials using the chemical epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient in green tea. The trial determined that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can tolerate the chemical fairly well when high doses are administered in capsule form and that lymphocyte count was reduced in one-third of participants. "We found not only that patients tolerated the green tea extract at very high doses, but that many of them saw regression to some degree of their chronic lymphocytic leukemia," says Tait Shanafelt, M.D., Mayo Clinic hematologist and lead author of the study....

Rochester officials say members of Saudi Arabia's royal family spent enough during a visit to the Mayo Clinic to give the area's economy a shot in the arm. City officials say Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz arrived in the Minnesota city on Nov. 15 for a checkup at the Mayo Clinic and was accompanied by at least five princes and hundreds of others.

This morning at around 7:30 a.m. on CNN it was reported that Mr. McCain spent 2 hours at a hospital yesterday. No reason given for the visit. I believe the report was that he was at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Has anyone heard anything more about this??? There is no link on Google or Drudge as to this visit but it was seen on CNN this morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A woman is suing her gynecologist for allegedly not telling her that he accidentally cut open a tumor he removed from her ovary, spilling cancerous tissue in her abdomen and causing her cancer to spread. The lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court by Lavonne Schroeter, alleges that Dr. Curtis Hoegh's negligence during and after the operation "will cause her premature death." The lawsuit also names his employer, Iowa Health Physicians and Clinics, as a defendant. The 53-year-old Schroeter says the Des Moines doctor removed her tumor in 2002, but he never mentioned it was cancerous...

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a protein interaction that may explain how the deadly Huntington's disease affects the brain. The findings, published in and featured on the cover of the current issue of Human Molecular Genetics, show how the mutated Huntington's protein interacts with another protein to cause dramatic accumulation of cholesterol in the brain. "Cholesterol is essential for promoting the connection network among brain cells and in maintaining their membrane integrity. Both the level of cholesterol and its delivery to the proper locations in the cell are essential for the survival of neurons," explains Mayo Clinic molecular biologist Cynthia...

$69 can get you a trace of the commonly used lethal industrial substance... It's one of the deadliest imaginable poisons, a radioactive substance about 100 billion times as deadly as cyanide -- and a Web site run by a physicist and flying saucer enthusiast offers to sell you a trace amount of it for $69 and send it via the U.S. Postal Service or UPS. Contrary to early news reports, polonium-210 -- the poison suspected in the death of an ex-Russian spy in England -- is not some exotic material available solely from nuclear laboratories. The isotope is available from...

Gerald Ford in Minn. hospital for tests 8 minutes ago Former President Ford was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday for "testing and evaluation," his office said in a statement. The statement gave no details about why the 93-year-old former chief executive went to the clinic in Rochester, about 75 miles southeast of Minneapolis. "No further releases or updates are anticipated prior to early next week," said the statement issued from Ford's office in Beaver Creek, Colo. Ford also has a home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Mayo Clinic spokesman John Murphy confirmed the statement but said he...

Former President Ford was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on Tuesday for "testing and evaluation," his office said in a statement. The statement gave no further details on why the 93-year-old former chief executive went to the clinic. "No further releases or updates are anticipated prior to early next week," said the statement issued from his office in Beaver Creek, Colo. Ford also has a home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. No other information was released by the clinic. "I can verify that the statement is correct and I have no other additional information," said John Murphy, the...

AP MEDICAL WRITER CHICAGO -- Rheumatoid arthritis patients taking Humira or Remicade face triple the risk of developing several kinds of cancer and double the risk of getting serious infections, a study led by the Mayo Clinic found. The analysis builds on previous reports about the risks associated with Abbott Laboratories' Humira and Centocor's Remicade. But the earlier research focused mostly on one kind of cancer - lymphoma - and infections such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. The new study found an apparent link to other cancers, too, including skin, gastrointestinal, breast and lung tumors. It also quantifies the risks and...

Since immigration and Patrick Kennedy are popular issues being talked about, here is part of the voting record of Patrick Kennedy on immigration. Rep. Kennedy voted againstH.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. H.R. 4437, as amended and passed, includes major improvements in interior enforcement and border security, as well as a reduction in legal immigration numbers. Among its most significant provisions are: a requirement that all businesses must use an electronic system to check if all new hires have the legal right to work in the country; additional security fencing along the Mexican...

Investigation Continues as Congressman Enters Mayo Clinic May 5, 2006 — Capitol Police have taken disciplinary action against a watch commander for the handling of Rep. Patrick Kennedy's car accident, acting Capitol Police Chief Christopher McGaffin said. Lou Cannon of of the Fraternal Order of Police for the District of Columbia said there are questions about whether Rep. Patrick Kennedy received special treatment. (ABC News) McGaffin said the incident was improperly delayed due to "poor judgment" on the part of police managers and that a field sobriety test should have been administered to Kennedy after his car hit a barrier...

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy said yesterday that he is entering treatment for an addiction to prescription medications, an announcement that comes as police continue their investigation into a car crash involving the congressman near the Capitol. Calling his addiction a "chronic disease," Kennedy said he does not even recall the accident, which occurred early Thursday and raised questions about his behavior and how U.S. Capitol Police deal with members of Congress. The congressman's office has said Kennedy (D-R.I.) was disoriented behind the wheel because he had taken prescription medication to calm stomach inflammation and to help him sleep. No one...

When a wealthy Arab patient flew to Germany for medical treatment last year he arrived on his own jumbo jet filled with so many bodyguards, staff and family that he rented an entire luxury hotel floor for his month-long stay. The man from Qatar was among the richest but hardly the only foreigner to get health care in Germany to avoid the rigors of entering the United States, where anti-terror vigilance since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has frightened many Arabs away. German hospitals are reporting huge increases in the number of Arab patients since 2001 -- at the expense...