As those of us who've endured 10 months of winter (or so it seems) start to think about spring, some of us automatically think baseball. Mayo Clinic, too, is thinking about baseball and producing a new documentary about one of baseball (and Hollywood's) most beloved players-turned-physician: Archibald Wright Graham, perhaps better known as Doc "Moonlight" Graham. If you've seen the movie, "Field of Dreams," or read the book, Shoeless Joe, you know who we're talking about. If you haven't, our friends over at the Mayo Clinic News Network report that Moonlight Graham, after one of the shortest professional playing careers in baseball history, quickly moved on to a post-baseball career as a physician in Chisholm, Minn., where he was famous for "exceptional dedication and service" to both his patients and, as it so happens, to Mayo Clinic. In the movie, Doc Graham, played by Burt Lancaster, famously states, "Son, if I'd only got to be a doctor for five minutes, now that would have been a tragedy. The good doctor's "professionalism and ethics in support of Mayo Clinic values" is the subject of the Mayo documentary. The Hibbing Daily Tribune reports that the new film will be released in July to coincide with the 25th anniversary of "Field of Dreams." The newspaper also reports that the movie "has sparked a world-wide curiosity for more information on the man behind the character."

Aw shucks. That was essentially the response from the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media when presented with an article by Health IT (HIT) Consultant that suggests Mayo's social media efforts are kind of a big deal. It's not that they weren't pleased. It's just that Mayo tends to have a complicated relationship with rankings that make us humbled by recognition, although not too happy when we don't receive it, all while being certain that we're the best but not satisfied with where we're at. (Here's to never resting.) At any rate, HIT Consultant takes an in-depth look at Mayo's social media success that's informative and edifying. (It's okay to feel good for a minute). It's also a good reminder that this isn't about retweets and likes (although we do like those) but rather about how Mayo uses every social media tool available to help patients and the general, health-pursuing public. The article starts with the backdrop, noting that health-related research remains one of the most popular online activities, particularly searches for specific medical issues (brushing up on bunions, for example), medical treatments or healthy living advice, and Mayo's offerings are always right there at the top of those search results. (Thank Google.) It also notes that "the 2013 Harris Poll EquiTrend survey named the Mayo Clinic website the top Health Information Website, ahead of WebMD."

"Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes ... now that would have been a tragedy." Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham [...]

Ana Gregg never imagined she'd have two heart attacks by age 35. Why she now has hope and wants to help others understand their risks. At 35, Ana Gregg never imagined she'd have a heart attack at such a young age. Or that her doctors would initially miss the signs. Now Gregg is participating in a research study at Mayo Clinic in Rochester that she hopes will help researchers better understand the mysterious medical condition called spontaneous coronary artery dissection or SCAD, which caused her to have two heart attacks. It all started one night shortly after she had put her two young sons to bed. After the boys fell asleep, she decided to take advantage of some "me time" by exercising. When she finished 45 minutes later, she says she began feeling warm, and then felt pressure building in her chest. "At first, I thought I had worked out too soon after dinner," she told the Twin Cities Heart Foundation in a video created for the Go Red campaign to help raise awareness of heart disease in women. "I thought maybe it would just go away," she says. But instead, things got worse. "I was having a hard time breathing … I looked in the mirror, and I was gray." At that point, Gregg says she knew something was seriously wrong and went to a local hospital. An EKG initially showed she was having a heart attack. "I was shocked," she says.

A couple years back, we brought you the term “faux page,” the art (you might say) of setting up a false page in order to exit a meeting early. Mind you, we weren't suggesting anyone try what we're sure is a completely mythical idea. But if such a thing ever crossed your mind during a meeting, perhaps it's worth looking at some meeting survival advice Mayo Clinic's own Amit Sood, M.D., offered in a recent article in U.S. News and World Report. According to the authors, “Long meetings can sometimes feel less like work and more like workouts -- exhausting endurance tests during which you’re expected to contribute and learn.” Dr. Sood, author of The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living, tells U.S. News that after a while, that learning and contributing becomes difficult. “After about an hour and a half of focusing, our brain gets depleted and starts making errors and may get irritable,” Dr. Sood says. So, what’s a brain-depleted meeting attendee to do? Well, for starters, try these ideas:

"People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything." Thomas Sowell

No one brings on the fun like the folks in the Child Life Program at the Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Superhero window washers, the Twins Caravan, Elmo, just to name a few. Of course, it's all for the kids. And in this case, it's a chance to distract them from what can be a difficult and tedious time in the hospital. And what could be more colorful and fun than … a piano. (And don't say piano lessons, because we know that isn't so.) Now, a piano might not seem like an obvious choice to give a bunch of those kids a welcome distraction. At least not one that lasts more than a couple minutes and spares the eardrums of passersby. But The Ellen Project is making a slightly different kind of music, giving kids a chance to paint a piano (like Paint-Your-Plate, but bigger, and with keys), before bringing a welcome serenade to hospital rooms.

If you believe television ads, great ideas can start anywhere — a dorm room, a garage, during a bus ride. We'd respectfully add, "in a backyard while tossing beanbags." That's where the idea for the Cabin Fever Bean Bag Tournament came from, at least, and the event has raised $100,000 over the last four years for the Eagles Cancer Telethon. Brad Douglas, of Mayo's Integrated Stress Lab, explains that a group of friends had "always wanted to do something to give back to the community," and beanbag competitions were a favorite past time. So they thought, why not combine the two? While searching for the ideal cause to donate to, the circle of friends didn't need to search far. One of them, Heidi Gage, of Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union, is a cancer survivor, and many others in the group have been affected by cancer in one way or another. So the group suggested the money raised go to cancer research. The first year, the event garnered 50 teams and raised $5,000. The following year, it was up to 64 beanbag teams and $13,000 raised. In 2012, 80 teams raised $29,000 for cancer research. Teresa Chapman, director of the Eagles Cancer Telethon told the group, "The passion and dedication of your volunteers and organizers is amazing and excites everyone that you come in contact with. Keep up the good work because 'together we can make a difference.'"

"Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it." Tom Lehrer  

He rescued his owner from a fire. (In a movie, but still.) He was part of the cast an Oscar-winning film. (But you won't hear him brag.) He always has a trick or two up his, um, sleeve. And if you happened to be at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville last week, you may have even caught a glimpse of him. He is Uggie, the adorable and talented Jack Russell Terrier who graced the silver screen in the 2012 award-winning film, "The Artist." Uggie's path to stardom hasn't been easy. He was actually slated to go to a pound when he was rescued by Omar von Muller, his adoptive dad. This adoption led to him learning a few tricks, and then, lo and behold, he became part of an Oscar-winning cast and was soon soaking up some international fame. Uggie came to Mayo Clinic in February to show off some of his showbiz skills and to shine the spotlight on Mayo Clinic's Caring Canines program. The program has 19 volunteer pooches that visit patients and visitors, and help brighten their day. (Who wouldn't love a visit from a puppy, anyway?)

They say the only constant is change. And according to the authors of a new book called Remaking College: Innovation and the Liberal Arts, change is just what liberal arts colleges need to do to "make access to college more affordable and to do more to prepare students for specific careers." And one of the ways the authors suggest schools go about doing that is by establishing "meaningful educational partnerships" with outside entities. Entities, one author writes, like Mayo Clinic. In a chapter titled, "The Liberal Arts College Unbound," Brian Rosenberg, president of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., writes that liberal arts colleges like his would "be able to do more by working together" with industry to offer students "programs that are more carefully crafted to prepare them to deal with issues that affect many different sectors of our economy and our communal lives." One way Macalester is doing that right now, he writes, is through its participation in Mayo's Innovation Scholars Program, a collaborative program that pairs undergraduate science and economics students with a graduate student in business and a project manager from Mayo Clinic Ventures to analyze projects and inventions submitted by Mayo physicians and scientists." It's a partnership and collaboration that Rosenberg says allows students to "gain valuable insights and experience in the translational process associated with inventions and product development."

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin