CAPSULES
Mayo’s Research Honored By Science Magazine Mayo Clinic research on aging was recently selected by the journal Science as one of the top 10 groundbreaking scientific achievements of 2011. Mayo officials note that the clinic’s study on eliminating the effects of aging in mice received worldwide attention when it was published in Nature in November. In the study, researchers showed that the animal-based research could help humans delay or prevent the onset of age-related disorders and disabilities by eliminating senescent cells: cells that have become “deadbeat” and are no longer dividing. “Our discovery demonstrates that, in our body, cells are accumulating that cause these agerelated disorders and discomforts,” says Jan van Deursen, PhD, the Vita Valley Professor of Cellular Senescence at Mayo Clinic. “Therapeutic interventions to get rid of senescent cells or block their effects may repre-
sent an avenue to make us feel more vital, healthier, and allow us to stay independent for a much longer time.” Researchers say the work is an important step in the quest to improve health span— not necessarily living a longer life, but a healthier, more productive one.
Minnesota Health Systems Join ACO Project Three Minnesota health systems have been named as part of a pilot program to roll out accountable care organizations (ACOs), a key component of the health reforms passed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Minnesota systems participating in the Pioneer ACO initiative are Allina Hospitals and Clinics, Fairview Health Services, and Park Nicollet Health System. Nationally, 32 health organizations were chosen to take part in the program. According to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS)
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the new program will encourage primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and other caregivers to provide better, more coordinated care for Medicare recipients. Officials say the Pioneer ACOs could save up to $1.1 billion in health care costs over five years. The ACO model has been discussed and debated throughout the health-care reform process, and the new program is a further step to bring the concept to reality on a large scale. HHS officials say the initiative will test the effectiveness of different payment models as systems move from paying for volume to paying for the value of care provided. The Pioneer ACO program will feature robust quality measurements, freedom of choice in choosing providers, and a coordinated approach to care. The Minnesota systems chosen for the program are among the largest in the state, and serve large populations in the metro area. Minnesota systems also have the advantage
of being familiar with health reform innovations such as coordinated care, since such concepts are already being tested throughout the state. “Fairview Health Network is very well positioned to serve as a Pioneer ACO, says Dave Moen, MD, president of Fairview Physician Associates, “because we have already made tremendous progress with implementing new care delivery models and care coordination processes. Our patients will enjoy better care and a better experience.”
ACS Reports Declines in Cancer Mortality Cancer mortality rates continue to decline both nationally and in Minnesota, according to new data from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The group’s annual cancer statistics report shows that between 2004 and 2008, cancer death rates decreased by 1.8 percent per year in men and by
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MINNESOTA PHYSICIAN FEBRUARY 2012