Mary Clare Fischer
Contributing writer

Fischer previously promoted innovations in clinical care and tells patient stories on behalf of the Rogel Cancer Center while also managing external communications for Michigan Medicine’s surgery and urology departments and the Transplant Center. 
Mary Clare Fischer
two students in bright blue jackets walking with man with walker down hallway in black sleeveless shirt and maroon sweats
Health Lab
Kinesiology students help hospital patients get walking again
The new initiative pairs kinesology undergrads with patients in the Medical Short-Stay Unit at Michigan Medicine to keep them up and moving during their stay.
 woman on hospital bed with two nurses with masks and blue gown
Health Lab
Patient celebrates 30-year anniversary of lung transplant
Celebrating 30 years since her life-saving lung transplant, Mary Pierce's story is an inspiration to us all. Read how she overcame the odds and continues to live life to the fullest.
 graphic of three people standing next to eachother and DNA strip over them in yellow
Health Lab
Sex, age, mental health and more can affect perceived barriers to genetic testing for cancer
A variety of factors affect the barriers that patients with cancer foresee to undergoing genetic testing, researchers found, but the issues that motivate patients to actually follow through with genetic testing remain unclear.
 backs of three people
Health Lab
When genetic testing can help the whole family
Genetic testing for hereditary conditions such as breast cancer can have implications for the whole family. Learn how genetic testing helped Cathleen Argyle and her family to uncover a rare mutation and how the Rogel Cancer Center provided advice and guidance throughout the process.
 storm trooper UM theme posing with women with mask on and jeans
Health Lab
Heart transplant inspires woman to go back to school
Amy Bacon was inspired to go to college after her heart transplant. She now has three academic degrees and is working on a fourth while also educating teenagers about the importance of organ transplants.
 toddler laying on bed in hospital
Health Lab
Family support helps baby and parents navigate heart failure and transplant
Mariana Lizcano was in heart failure before she turned a year old. Support from her family and care team were crucial to her ability to undergo a heart transplant and recover smoothly.
 vitamin d pills
Health Lab
What vitamin D can — and can’t — do for you
Supplement expert and U-M Health Jenkins/Pokempner Director of Alternative Medicine Mark Moyad explains what vitamin D can – and can’t – do for you.
 Surgery 3300
Health Lab
Zip code and hospital quality may both affect the risk of dying after surgery
Researchers analyzed whether the neighborhood a patient lived in or the quality of the hospital they went to for an operation affected their recovery from surgery
 Graphic of a surgery table with Lab Note in the upper left corner.
Health Lab
Black patients more likely to get emergency colorectal cancer surgery
Emergency surgery was linked to less thorough pre-surgical assessments and worse outcomes after surgery.
 man worried looking at laptop
Health Lab
Most heart transplant centers’ websites get failing grade when it comes to clear, accessible information
Most heart transplant centers’ websites are written in language above the average American’s reading level, and more than a third have no resources for people who spoke a language other than English.
 vein dna moving yellow blue red
Health Lab
Liquid biopsies could predict survival odds for patients with metastatic cancer
Liquid biopsies, a certain type of blood test, can be a helpful tool to guide treatment discussions for patients with metastatic cancer.
 surgery table blue yellow lab note badge
Health Lab
Study compares adverse events after two types of bariatric surgery in adolescents
Complication and death rates were similar for both gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy when researchers compared the two weight-loss surgeries in adolescents covered by Medicaid.
 charts with peoples pictures on them and ages and green checks on some and red check for one over 70 teal background
Health Lab
Bias against older organ donors may be leading to smaller organ supply for transplants
Left-digit bias, a type of unconscious bias often linked to ageism, is linked to fewer organs selected from donors 70 years old or older, compared to those who are 69 or younger.
 vacant hospital room bed
Health Lab
Hospital room features may affect recovery after surgery
The design of a hospital room could affect recovery after high-risk surgeries.
 two women looking at eachother red shirt blue patient covering
Health Lab
Chronic health conditions associated with worse survival rates for patients with metastatic breast cancer
Black women are at the highest risk of death.
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