You've got until Monday to play the Mayo Clinic "Healthy Match" game at the Mall of America in Bloomington. The touch-screen game that inquires about healthy activities, which was installed in November, will be taken down Tuesday.
"We've had more than 11,000 interactions," said Mayo spokeswoman Elizabeth Rice. "Our goal with this project was to find a fun way to engage mall visitors to think about their health and to provide Mayo Clinic resources to help improve their health."
Mayo plans construction of The Gateway at the Mall of America to give people an entry point for Mayo information and services. Clinic officials believe the portal will pump up patient numbers at the mall and through referrals as well as expose international visitors to the clinic.
The clinic has offered dermatology screenings, cooking demonstrations, children's fairs and other activities at the mall to raise awareness about The Gateway coming and to gather information about the interests of potential patients.
The game on a storefront catches the eye of passersby, who can touch the wall and follow prods. One user was expected to win a $200 gift certificate from the mall.
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"After each game was completed, the user was asked which healthy activity they found most challenging for their lifestyle. Then, if they entered their e-mail address, they received an e-mail with links to online information and tools to help them with that particular health activity," Rice said.
Future plans
Mall public relations coordinator Bridget Jewell said there's another new Mayo effort under way that won't officially kick off until the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure on Feb. 26. But signs have gone up already and maps are available for "The Mayo Clinic Mile."
Mayo has mapped out one-mile, 5K and 10K routes to walk.
Jewell said ground will be broken this year for a Radisson Blu hotel at the mall. Next is construction of the Mayo Gateway, she said.
According to Mayo, services available at the mall might include telemedicine, screenings, preventive care and appointment scheduling.
