- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." — Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
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Stress blog
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April 10, 2010
Success needn't mean neglecting your needs
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
A wonderful dinner with friends provided camaraderie and much more. Let me explain.
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If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.
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One of the gentlemen in our group is a highly visible leader in our state and nationally. He's an expert in the areas of quality and safety in medicine. He shared with me that the demand for his expertise seems insatiable. He travels approximately 100 days a year, which represents half of his professional life. He has meetings starting at 7:00 a.m., continuing throughout the day, including the noon hour, and into the evening. Despite this grueling schedule, he's "dead fit," to use a racetrack term, and has never looked healthier. I asked him how he does it.
He was pleased that someone was interested and shared with me that he makes fitness a top priority. Every morning before the work day starts, he rows, cycles, lifts weights or hops on the treadmill. This is non-negotiable and an embedded part of his day. He's also proactive in making sure that he stays at hotels with exercise facilities and he orders special meals when he flies to meet his dietary requirements. In other words, he orchestrates his health and wellness. He doesn't leave it to chance. That is an important lesson for each of us: We need to be committed to our health.
The other gentleman at the table is also a nationally recognized expert. His field is technology, and he heads up a large government agency. Several years ago he introduced the smart phone into his workplace, but now feels that it's an anchor around his neck since he never gets away from work. He admitted that his wife drove to dinner so he could check his email on his phone. I've known this gentleman for many years, and it was obvious to me that he was distracted and not at all a happy camper. The lesson here is real clear: Although the wireless world empowers us, it can also drain us if we let it.
As I've said before, we can't give what we don't have. If we're not healthy, if we're not rested or if we're distracted, our gifts and skills go to waste.
6 comments posted
December 16, 2012 4:32 p.m.
Thank you for sharing this important insight and encouraging true success!
- Laura
May 26, 2010 7:19 a.m.
Hi, If you are suffering from stress factors then make use of infrared saunas.
- david butch
April 14, 2010 10:06 a.m.
I work all day and them am supposed to come home and cook dinner for the family. However, if I come straight home then the chances are that I don't get to the gym. So, I started going to the gym straight after work. Dinner sometimes is ready in the slow-cooker and sometimes not. But, I have decided to put ME first. I can see my hubby does not approve of this as yesterday he sadly warmed up leftovers looking at me as if I did something wrong. To which I replied, "Good job honey". I don't think this was the response he was looking for. Reading the article strengthens my resolve to take care of my health. My body does so much for me... I need to return the favor and keep my body healthy.
- Teresa
April 12, 2010 10:51 p.m.
Considering that employers are taking advantage of the job market and pressuring people to work unrealistic amounts of overtime and then the rest of this country is out of jobs, I think health has become second fiddle for most Americans right now. How apropos that the Health Reform Act was passed. Of course, for adults without access to insurance who have pre-existing conditions and limited incomes, relief will not come until 2010 (if they make it until then). But even the solution of moving to Europe doesn't help. Europeans are trading a more relaxed culture to compete in the global marketplace. Take-away coffeeshops now exist in Europe too. Not too sure the health of most people is being managed better these days, with or without the advice.
- erin
April 11, 2010 11:09 a.m.
Yes, thanks for hitting it home, all the priorities we really should focus on so that we may reset our goals for the forthcoming week(s). Today work evaluations are behind me, tax paperwork looms large along with the endless mail pile, spring cleaning cries out, the nagging feeling I'm forgetting things grows, family time lags. Exercise we must. Thanks for keeping us on the tract...
- Carol
April 11, 2010 1:56 a.m.
Thank you, I've passed this on to my husband. We run a buisness together and both spend long hours working. Whilst I have begun to make time to exercise and relaxing my Husband does not; he sacrifices all for sucess(is this a male thing?)Happiness and health are more imfortant than wealth. keep up the blog I find it very useful
- anna
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