INCLUSION: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “UCare’s commitment to inclusive growth has earned us a place in Aerodei’s top 5 organizations pushing inclusion forward. Our collaborative culture and strong leadership make us a standout example of what’s possible when inclusion is prioritized.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AupnVQ (SPONSORED: UCare)
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ELECTION: Via USA Today, VERBATIM: “Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have been neck-and-neck in polls for weeks, a trend that's not changing according to a pair of surveys released on Sunday . . . The ABC News/Ipsos poll, like others, underscored how both campaigns are trying to put together coalitions based on specific issues. Harris has advantages with voters who support health care access and want to protect democracy; Trump scores well with voters who are concerned with the economy and immigration policy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NIYXmo
MORE: Via U.S. News & World Report, a guide to what health care would look like depending on who wins the election. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3UoByKU
CANDIDATE HEALTH: Via YouGov, VERBATIM: “Americans are about as likely as not to say Donald Trump, age 78, is too old to be president, and concerns about the former president's fitness for office have been growing. However, they remain significantly lower than similar concerns about President Joe Biden, 81, before he withdrew from the race. Few have similar concerns about Kamala Harris, 60, who replaced Biden as the Democratic candidate and Trump's main opponent. A growing share of Americans think it's fair game to discuss candidates' physical health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48nh4rH
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: Via Mass Live, VERBATIM: “Ahead of the Nov. 5 election, a majority of Americans stand in opposition to a nationwide ban on abortion and in vitro fertilization, according to a new University of Massachusetts Amherst/League of Women Voters poll. Conducted between Oct. 11 and Oct. 16, 65% of all respondents and women oppose such a ban, with 54% of each group strongly opposed to an abortion ban, according to a UMass Amherst statement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48sKhBB
HEALTHCARE: Via Ipsos, VERBATIM: “Many insured Americans struggle with access and affordability navigating the health care system, and support changes to address these issues, according to the latest Patient Experience Survey (PES). Only about one-quarter of insured Americans believe insurance currently provides everyone with affordable access to health care when it’s needed. Most insured Americans support policies that minimize out-of-pocket costs, like capping the out-of-pocket costs patients might pay in a year or ensuring that health insurers or pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) pass on cost-savings to patients.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40kA87X
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NEXT MONTH: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “Family caregivers are the backbone of the care community, but their contributions and needs are often overlooked or underappreciated. Leading up to Alzheimer’s Awareness Month this November, the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Healthy Brain Initiative is highlighting an in-person conversation and roundtable discussion including new data and policy options for supporting caregivers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e0u1J2
FAIRMONT: From Sophia Gernander via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Just over a month ago, the Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont announced that it would be cutting in-patient services for labor and delivery and surgery. The decision sparked outrage throughout the community. ‘What I’ve seen is the diversion of our patients to Mankato,’ said Marilyn Green. ‘Our own obstetrician is going up to Mankato and covering the call there, so we have no coverage there, so our patients are being forced to go there.’ Monday night, MCHS hosted a public meeting with the citizens of Fairmont to hear concerns about their new transition.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fqacw2
CANNABIS: From Kiya Edwards via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Whether purchased from dealer or dispensary, weed has become more potent over the years. In 2022, the federal government reported THC levels more than tripled since 1995. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Graduate School addressed this Friday at its first cannabis summit. Attendees primarily included the nonprofit's graduate students as well as undergraduate students from nearby universities.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NILqv1
RURAL HEALTH: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “During a recent presidential campaign rally in Wisconsin, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) was asked how a Trump administration would protect rural health care access in the face of hospital closures, such as two this year in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. In response, he turned to immigration. ‘Now, you might not think that rural health care access is an immigration issue,’ said Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate. ‘I guarantee it is an immigration issue, because we’re bankrupting a lot of hospitals by forcing these hospitals to provide care for people who don’t have the legal right to be in our country’ . . . Experts on hospital financing and industry representatives generally disagreed with Vance’s assertion, noting that many other factors figure in closures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40qwjho
GAZA: From Mohamed Ibrahim via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Health care institutions in Minnesota and across the country have been ‘persistently silencing’ workers from speaking about Israel’s military attacks on Gaza since the conflict began a year ago, say some local health care professionals. Alycia Garubanda, a speech pathologist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in south Minneapolis, said some workplaces feel unsafe due to bans on work events featuring Palestinian doctors. Some employees have also been fired for posting support for Palestine on personal social media accounts, she added.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3C2DP82
MAMMOGRAMS: From Emily Haugen via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Breast Cancer Awareness Month serves as a reminder for women and their loved ones to stay up-to-date on their checkups. North Memorial Health is working to address the health care disparities for Black women year-round. Angela Bowen’s job is to get African American women in to North Memorial Health‘s breast center in Robbinsdale for their regular mammograms. Bowen said 70% of the women in the hospital’s area need those routine check-ups.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fr5zlj
DROWNINGS: From Kyra Miles via MPR, VERBATIM: “Drowning is one of the leading causes of death of people with autism, according to the National Autism Association. Research at Columbia University found that children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning compared to their neurotypical peers. Racial disparities in drowning are the highest among Black children, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found. The recent drownings led Anisa Hagi-Mohamed, a longtime Twin Cities advocate for children on the autism spectrum, to propose that swimming lessons be an option for a child’s Individualized Education Plan, or IEP.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YoAEiC
LEADERS: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The annual Betty Hubbard Maternal and Child Health Leadership Award honorees for 2024 are Patricia Wilson (St. Anthony); Olmsted County Public Health Services family home visiting team and their partner, Cradle 2 Career; and Deb Purfeerst (Faribault). The award recognizes people or organizations in Minnesota making significant contributions to maternal and child health. Members serving on the Maternal and Child Health Advisory Task Force recognized the honorees this month for promoting good health for mothers and children.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Uuvj8l
CANCER MEDS: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The Biden administration took steps to alleviate shortages of cancer drugs for children, part of a final push for one of the president’s domestic priorities: reducing the nation’s cancer burden. The federal government is testing a new way to prevent treatment disruptions for seven pediatric cancer drugs by improving communication between hospitals, nonprofits and wholesalers. Shortages of cancer medicines regularly plague hospitals and patients, sometimes forcing them to delay or change care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3C46JVq
ORGANS: From Jeremy Olson via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The nonprofit that coordinates organ donation in Minnesota is trying to convert more men into registered donors with a marketing campaign that tackles the top excuses for their reluctance. The LifeSource organ procurement organization found through surveys last year that although men carry more misconceptions than women about organ donation, they can be motivated to sign up if they learn more about the lives saved in the process. The survey responses resulted in the Big Heart Club campaign, which LifeSource launched Tuesday along with lifesaving stories from transplant recipients such as former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ben Williams.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UuMfvf
HISTOSONICS: From Cam Bonelli via Minne Inno, VERBATIM: “A Twin Cities company whose medical device treats liver cancer landed a government contract that will authorize up to $90 million to implement its tech in VA hospitals nationwide. Plymouth-based HistoSonics, which developed a means of fighting liver cancer with sound waves, signed a deal with the Veterans Health Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Acquisitions Center on Monday. The five-year contract will give VA hospitals the option to use HistoSonics' tech within their health care centers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hArxnQ
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IMMUNITY: From University of Colorado via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “An ancient gene mutation among First Nations inhabitants of Oceania may make them more susceptible to infectious diseases like influenza, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40if5mq
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