Hometown Health

A community of information and resources to improve your health and well-being, including blog posts from providers, patients and community members.

From The Blog

Finding new purpose as a hospice volunteer

My heart was touched after reaping the benefits of the hospice program when my husband was dying from cancer 14 years ago. I never forgot what a volunteer being there for us meant to my family and me. I knew that someday I wanted to be involved in the program.

September 12, 2017

Volunteering: Giving back to the community

My name is Nancy Nix. I am a 70-year-old retired grandmother of 10 grandchildren. I decided to give back by becoming a volunteer in 2014 after my husband of 32 years needed surgery and received such great care.

May 1, 2017

What is a hospitalist?

Finding yourself or a loved one hospitalized can be a worrisome and stressful time. Entrusted with your care, we work to replace fear with hope.

Randy Foss MD By Randy Foss April 20, 2017
Brian Kelly By Brian Kelly April 20, 2017
Anne Liwonjo MD By Anne Liwonjo April 20, 2017
Dr Mootaz Younis By Mootaz Younis April 20, 2017

Paws Force: Offering a helping paw to patients in need

My dog, Bernie, and I volunteer together on the Paws Force team using animal-assisted therapy for patients in need of comfort or a smile

April 17, 2017

Helping you 'catch' healthier habits

It’s easy to catch a virus from the people around you. But you can also catch habits from your friends and family.

March 27, 2017

The future of health care starts today

Although many factors have played a role in defining the current state of health care, we need to begin focusing on a deeper, more fundamental view of health care that will lead us to a future that provides an enhanced experience for patients and their families, ensures high-quality care with every medical encounter and mitigates the growing cost of health care across the country.

January 24, 2017

Improving the way we care for you

This issue of Hometown Health focuses on women’s health care. That’s a broader topic than you might think. We know that some health conditions are unique to women, others disproportionately affect women, and still others present with different signs and symptoms in women. It’s important for women and their health care teams to be aware of these differences.

November 25, 2016

Pet dog brightens days of hospice patients

Cindi Thurston, hospice volunteer, is part of the pet therapy team at Mayo Clinic Health System. She and her partner, Watson, travel to homes and nursing facilities in the Chippewa Valley visiting with hospice patients. Read her story...

September 9, 2016

Right care. Right place. Right time.

Our goal is to provide you with the best possible health care in a convenient and timely fashion. That’s why we offer expert care in a variety of settings. But how do you know what type of care to seek?

July 7, 2016

Expanding our teams to improve your care

As you’ve seen in the pages of this newsletter, Mayo Clinic Health System is developing new ways of providing health care. One of the most exciting changes is that we’re expanding our care teams. We believe that when it comes to solving problems, two heads are better than one. And a whole group of smart people putting their heads together is even better.

May 16, 2016

The role of a midwife: Embracing nine months and beyond

Bringing midwifery care to a community means describing what I have done for the past 22 years as a nurse midwife. Most of my care has been and will continue to be with women who are pregnant. Midwifery is meeting women and their support person at their first prenatal visit, sharing their excitement, or possibly listening to their fears and anxieties about an unexpected pregnancy. It’s learning about her story and what’s important to her and her family.

January 27, 2016

Focusing on the 'health' in 'health care'

At Mayo Clinic Health System, we’re in the business of keeping you well. That may seem obvious. But for many years, health care providers were more focused on taking care of people when they were sick. We’ve begun to realize the real goal of health care should be keeping people healthy — and out of the doctor’s office.

October 9, 2015