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. 
Family with mom and dad and three kids sitting on a park bench, dad's arms extended around the family.
Health Lab

Intuition pushed mom to keep checking for breast cancer

Michigan mom had no reason to suspect cancer. But instinct nudged her to find out for sure — and carried her through challenging treatments to remission.
 vial going into area full of vials with purple yellow and blue tops
Health Lab

First-of-its-kind blood test for head and neck cancer

A Michigan Medicine lab has begun providing a first-of-its-kind new cancer test. Developed at the University of Michigan, MyHPVscore is a highly accurate blood test that can detect HPV-related head and neck cancer by measuring fragments of tumor DNA in a patient’s bloodstream.
 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
 man in hospital bed and man with wife in wheelchair
Health Lab

Meet the man who spent 75 days in the hospital with COVID-19

Andrew Ackerman was the first COVID-19 patient to be treated with an experimental filter that reduced his inflammation, helping to save his life.
 Father and daughter sitting in office talking to doctor
Health Lab

Meet the team that’s changing cancer experiences for teenagers, young adults

Focused on addressing health disparities, the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program (AYA) at Michigan Medicine centers on more inclusive cancer care for this age group and dedicates its research to health equity for AYA cancer patients.
 Olivia Goff nurses a pediatric patient in Mott Hospital
News Release

After Surviving Hodgkin Lymphoma Twice, Olivia Goff Nurses Others

After surviving Hodgkin Lymphoma, Olivia Goff became a cancer nurse so she could share her experiences with other people dealing with cancer.
 people chasing bus and looking at empty food pantry and being depressed
Health Lab

Southeast Michigan’s Middle Eastern and North African Population Face Significant Barriers to Achieving Optimal Health

Multiple factors, ranging from fear of deportation to food insecurity, create a negative domino effect for the health of the MENA community.
 Couple Dancing Blue Dress Tux
Health Lab

Dancing Her Cancer Stress Away

Despite living with an adenoid cystic carcinoma, Celina Pitt finds joy in nightly dance parties with her husband.
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