MONDAY: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “‘Each step we take honors the resilience and spirit of those who have walked this path before us.’ UCare is honored to sponsor this domestic violence awareness event with our friends in the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe next Monday, October 27. The UCare Foundation provided a grant for their Domestic Violence Food Support Program, which also supports this walk for healing and hope.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/3WksB5S (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
POLL: Via In Our Own Voice, VERBATIM: “Today, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda released new polling on the views, needs and priorities of Black communities, with a specific focus on Reproductive Justice policies. Conducted in partnership with public opinion research firm PerryUndem, the poll surveyed over 5,000 Black adults in 10 key states between May and June . . . More than half of surveyed Black adults in these states indicate they are struggling with financial insecurity; Across all states, over 90% of respondents noted that Medicaid has been important to them and/or their families; Over 80% of Black adults in all states believe that dismantling systemic racism is necessary in order for Black families to thrive; In all states across demographics, large majorities of respondents support abortion rights and access.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WQxNOT
HEALTHCARE: Via Real Clear Health, VERBATIM: “Americans are overwhelmingly weighed down by the high cost and complexity of healthcare, with 69 percent agreeing that healthcare costs are a major burden on their family, and nearly nine in 10 agreeing that America’s healthcare system has become unnecessarily complex. In fact, more than two-thirds of Americans believe that the more the government becomes involved in healthcare, the worse it becomes. Almost 70 percent of voters polled said they believe the government interferes too much in their lives, and, when they learned about [Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)], 78 percent said they were concerned that the program increases government influence and control over personal healthcare decisions that should be left up to patients and their doctors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Wl3DTP
MORE: From a separate poll conducted by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, VERBATIM: “61 percent of voters agree that CMMI models that fail to generate savings should be eliminated; Only 29 percent of voters believe CMMI’s $10 billion per decade budget is a smart use of taxpayer dollars; More than 75 percent of voters are concerned that CMMI increases government interference over personal healthcare decisions and agree that Congress should establish safeguards over CMMI to protect patients from mandatory policy changes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WgSmUF
PREMIUMS: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance reached an average of $26,993 this year, KFF’s annual benchmark health benefits survey of large and smaller employers finds. On average, workers contribute $6,850 annually to the cost of family coverage, with employers paying the rest. Family premiums are up 6%, or $1,408, from last year, similar to the 7% increase recorded in each of the previous two years. This year’s increase compares to general inflation of 2.7% and wage growth of 4% over the same period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/473xTc4
COSTS: Via Families USA, VERBATIM: “Today, Families USA is releasing a new poll conducted by Hart Research Associates showing that lowering health care costs is the top priority for American voters across party lines, even surpassing housing, jobs, crime, and immigration. Fielded September 25–29, this poll shows that health care costs were a top priority even before the government shutdown thrust health care tax credits into the spotlight. The poll of 1,502 registered voters nationwide reveals near-unanimous bipartisan support not only for extending health care tax credits but for broader reforms to bring down costs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4osGgDM
CHILDREN: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “The latest release from the KFF/Washington Post Survey of Parents finds that eight in ten parents say they see information or advice about children’s health at least occasionally on social media, including about three in ten who say they see this information daily or weekly. One-third (36%) of parents ages 18 to 34 say they see this content at least weekly compared to fewer parents ages 35-49 (28%) or those 50 and older (22%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/478zb5y
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
ACA: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, suggested Wednesday that President Donald Trump has a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act — but provided no specifics about the proposal. ‘I fully believe the president has a plan,’ Oz told NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press’ moderator Kristen Welker. ‘We’ve been talking about it quite a bit. There’s all kinds of ideas.’ ‘The issue, Kristen, is which specific parts of the plan do you prioritize, which are the ones you want to focus on,’ he added. When pressed for specifics about Trump’s plan, Oz said, ‘The plans that were originally offered during the One Big Beautiful Bill fell out, which is fine.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o5tcEB
TAX CREDITS: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “New findings from a Trump-aligned pollster released Wednesday show a majority of voters want Congress to extend enhanced ObamaCare tax credits and would be less likely to vote for a candidate who lets those tax credits expire. The poll from John McLaughlin, commissioned by the conservative group Americans for a Balanced Budget, highlights the political importance of the tax credits ahead of the midterm elections and the peril facing Republicans who oppose an extension.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49hVaZa
CONTRACEPTION: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “In updated clinical guidance, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) urged physicians to speak out in support of access to contraception. The group’s statement on access to contraception was updated to reflect the patchwork contraceptive landscape in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that ended the federal right to abortion, as well as the proliferation of mis- and disinformation about contraception.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WgUjQZ
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
MATERNITY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Labor and delivery units have been closing across the state and the nation in recent years. This week, Mayo Clinic Health System announced it would no longer cover labor and delivery services at Owatonna Hospital. In 2024, Mayo closed Fairmont and another clinic that offered obstetrics services in New Prague. Essentia Health shuttered labor and delivery services at the Fosston clinic near Grand Forks last year as well. According to the March of Dimes, 19 of Minnesota’s 87 counties are considered maternity care deserts and don’t have a single birthing facility . . . However, some rural hospital birthing centers are not just surviving but thriving, and their success could offer a template for others.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3JnGQUu
MORE: Via the March of Dimes, from its report on maternity care deserts:
FULL REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4nkmiKv
READMISSIONS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Paramedic visits and other efforts have helped Minnesota hospitals reduce readmissions for patients such as Gerdes and avoid steep federal penalties from Medicare, the massive federal health care program for senior citizens. New federal data shows 16 Minnesota hospitals avoided any penalties at all out of 46 scrutinized for readmissions. The other 30 hospitals will collectively pay $2 million to $3 million in federal penalties next year, which is relatively small compared to the billions of dollars that Medicare reimburses them for medical care. But the penalties aren’t just about money. They can be publicly embarrassing, and an indication that hospitals are struggling with value-based care, an industry term that means taking better care of patients for less money.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4htEUGG
OPIOIDS: Via news release from Minneapolis-based SixSpeed, VERBATIM: “Two years ago, SixSpeed, a Minneapolis-based full-service advertising agency, installed a small metal box outside the Episcopal Church of Minnesota on West Broadway containing 40 doses of free NARCAN and fentanyl test strips. That box launched the Overdose Prevention Project (OPP)—a grassroots social good effort in collaboration with Southside Harm Reduction Services. Today, the project has helped distribute thousands of life-saving tools, and raised over $15,000 in donations. Now, as the opioid crisis continues to affect communities nationwide, the Overdose Prevention Project is expanding its reach and impact—one life-saving dose at a time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/476GQBx
BRAIN AGING: From Cedars-Sinai via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Cedars-Sinai researchers created ‘young’ immune cells from human stem cells that reversed cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice. The treated animals showed better memory and healthier brain structures. The cells seemed to protect the brain indirectly, possibly through anti-aging signals in the blood. The findings suggest a new, personalized path to slowing brain aging.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/474eLuy
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF RURAL HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIA IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING TOP CLINICAL CARE: According to the latest report from Minnesota Community Measurement, a statewide resource on health care quality, costs and equity, Essentia ranked as a high performer with 19 of 20 clinical quality metrics scoring above statewide averages. According to Dr. Maria Beaver, chief quality and patient safety officer at Essentia: “This is a testament to the amazing care provided by all our clinical care teams and all our colleagues who support them.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dCxy1D (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
BREAST CANCER: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers collaborated on a new study showing that the drug abemaciclib improves survival for people with high-risk, early-stage breast cancer. In the phase 3 monarchE trial, two years of abemaciclib (Verzenio) plus endocrine therapy reduced the risk of death by 15.8% compared with endocrine therapy alone among patients with a common type of early-stage breast cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IZcJ5N
SEMAGLUTIDE: From University College London via Medical Xpress, VERBATIM: “Anti-obesity medication semaglutide may help to prevent heart attacks and other major cardiac events regardless of how much weight people lose while taking the drug, according to a new study led by a UCL researcher. The finding, the researchers say, suggests there are multiple ways the drug benefits the heart, rather than its protective effect on cardiovascular health being due solely to weight loss.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hp3ecF
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
NYSTROM: Via news release from New Brighton-based Nystrom, VERBATIM: “Today marks an important step forward for one of the Midwest’s largest behavioral health providers. Nystrom & Associates, which also owns Ellie Mental Health in Minnesota, LifeWorks and Psychiatric Associates in Iowa, Sandhill Counseling and Consultation in Missouri, and Vantage Point in Wisconsin, are coming together under the name Sagent Behavioral Health – combining trusted care providers under one name to create a stronger, more connected network of services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qHkX3x
MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Nurses at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, once again earned Magnet recognition, making this their seventh designation and reaffirming more than 30 years of excellence in nursing. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes healthcare organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. This credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KWWsPo
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
RUNNING: From Genomic Press via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “New research reveals that exercise counteracts the mood-damaging effects of a Western-style diet through specific gut and hormonal mechanisms. Running restored metabolites tied to mental well-being and balanced key hormones like insulin and leptin. However, poor diet limited the brain’s ability to generate new neurons, showing diet still matters for full brain benefits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42WOFHr
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