Presumably they won't be pushing Slim-Fast as the path to good health, but the Mayo Clinic has received a donation from the founder of the diet drinks to build a wellness facility aimed specifically at patients. For Mayo, which operates two wellness facilities for employees, the move is a significant step into the wellness world, because it moves beyond treating and managing diseases, said Patricia Barrier, MD, Mayo's medical director of disease prevention and health promotion. "What this facility will do is allow a patient to have an intense and comprehensive look at health risk and conditions, and custom-tailor a program that they'll experience for two or three days, or more," she said. People with certain illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease, will work with specialists on such areas as nutrition, fitness, sleep and stress reduction. Healthy people at risk for disease will also be able to work with specialists to try to avoid future illnesses. Coaches will help patients stay on track through weekly chats or online check-ins.
