NOTABLES: Via UCare, VERBATIM: “The February/March Twin Cities Business Notables rankings honor high-achieving BIPOC executives across local industries and metro area leaders in health care. Two members of UCare’s Executive Leadership team were included in these elite groups.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QHh8ua (SPONSORED: UCare)
WORKFORCE: Via Rep. Darin Lahood, VERBATIM: “Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) reintroduced the Rebuild America’s Health Care Schools Act alongside Representatives Angie Craig (MN-02) and Michelle Fischbach (MN-07). This legislation will help support and provide needed relief to hospital-based nursing schools and allied health education (NAHE) programs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4irAzTQ
USAID: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “As the Trump administration takes steps to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and freeze most foreign aid, including global health funding, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that a majority of the public expect this will lead to increased humanitarian and health crises globally while somewhat fewer expect the move to alleviate domestic fiscal issues.”
“Partisans are strongly divided on the impacts of cutting USAID, with Democrats more likely to anticipate negative health and humanitarian consequences globally and Republicans more likely to expect positive fiscal outcomes at home.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bsVTpA
FUNDING: Via YouGov, VERBATIM: “As the Trump administration slashes funding for many federal agencies, new polling finds that large shares of Americans favor increasing funding for dozens of government services; very few support cuts. The survey asked about spending in 40 areas, and in none of these areas did a majority of Americans support a reduction in spending. More than 70% of Americans think federal funding should be increased, either a lot or a little, for each of a half dozen areas: elderly care, veterans services, cybersecurity, health care services, disaster relief, and mental health care services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XtvjGZ
WOMEN: Via New York Post, VERBATIM: “The average woman currently has eight unanswered questions about her health. That was revealed in a new survey of 2,000 women who experience pelvic floor issues — and results revealed younger women have even more questions. Gen Z respondents have an average of 11 unanswered health questions, compared to just five for baby boomers surveyed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i8KEW0
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
UOFM: From Michael Nolan via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration’s recent changes to science funding policies — part of a wave of funding cuts across a number of federal agencies — could initially undercut research activities at the University of Minnesota by $130 million, but nationwide freezes to grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may cost the school billions in research funding over the coming years. Earlier this month, the university responded to the Trump administration’s announced limits on indirect cost recoveries from federal research grants issued by the NIH. Indirect cost recoveries are portions of research grants that an institution can spend on non-research costs that both literally and figuratively keep the lights on.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43jKyGa
MEDICAID: From Jennifer Shutt via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Republicans in Congress have gotten a crash course in Medicaid during the last few weeks, as they eye the health care program for lower-income Americans as a source for hundreds of billions of dollars in savings to pay for tax cuts. The 72 million Americans who rely on Medicaid, especially those represented by GOP lawmakers, as well as state leaders nervous about the effect on their budgets, are closely watching what Congress does. Democrats already have seized on potential cuts in the state-federal program to portray Republicans as trying to harm poor and vulnerable Americans to preserve tax cuts for the wealthy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41Dedci
WATER: Via Minnesota Department of Health, VERBATIM: “A new, interactive map created by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will show families how much lead, if any, has been detected in the drinking water at all public and charter schools and at licensed child care centers . . . Since 2017, Minnesota law has required public and charter schools to test for lead in drinking water every five years and to make their test results available to the public. As of July 1, 2024, a new law required licensed child care centers to begin testing drinking water for lead as well, and for both schools and child care centers to report their test results to MDH.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QLsMnK MAP: https://fluence-media.co/43tnTqW
MEASLES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “In a first test of the Trump administration’s ability to respond to an infectious disease emergency, its top health official has shied away from one of the government’s most important tools, experts said on Sunday: loudly and directly encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, was widely criticized as minimizing the measles outbreak in West Texas at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. In a social media post on Friday, he took a new tack, saying that the outbreak was a ‘top priority’ for his department, Health and Human Services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DdcDo9
MORE: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “The top spokesperson at the Health and Human Services Department has abruptly quit after clashing with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his close aides over their management of the agency amid a growing measles outbreak, two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. Thomas Corry announced on Monday that he had resigned ‘effective immediately,’ just two weeks after joining the department as its assistant secretary for public affairs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i3bjU1
MORE: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “In the 18 days since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, his department has postponed or canceled two major vaccine advisory committee meetings, he’s pledged to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule and he downplayed the seriousness of a measles outbreak that’s resulted in the first death from the disease in this country in a decade. Citing those moves and others – including an opinion piece from Kennedy on the measles response published by Fox News Sunday – Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, sent a letter demanding the secretary clarify his ‘intentions regarding vaccine policy.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4koo1Oy
ESSENTIA HEALTH NURSES ARE A VALUED PART OF OUR PATIENT CARE: Acute care nurses in the Duluth area earn $100,000 on average, working just four days a week. In fact, 94% of these nurses choose to work part-time because Essentia Health offers full benefits starting at 24 hours a week. Our nurses overwhelmingly choose to remain at Essentia Health, bucking national turnover trends. To join our team at Essentia Health, search for openings HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3D5rO2s (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
STUDENTS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “As mental health diagnoses rise at the University of Minnesota (UMN), many students report long wait times and unresponsive care from campus counseling services, prompting some to seek therapy outside the university . . . A 2024 Boynton Health survey found that 30.2% of students utilize emergency or crisis mental health services, while most rely on non-emergency care. The survey also reported that 26.1% of students received a mental health diagnosis in the past year, and nearly 60% said their mental health affected their academic performance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Dqlt1K
MNCM: Via Healthcare Innovation, VERBATIM: “Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM) is a data-driven organization focusing on clinical quality, cost, and utilization measurement. Liz Cinqueonce, M.B.A., the nonprofit organization’s president and CEO, recently spoke with Healthcare Innovation about its new Common Health Information Reporting Partnership (CHIRP) and other initiatives.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43miIct
ER: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “It’s pretty hard to shock an emergency physician. “We see the worst of the worst, and the silliest of the silliest,” Abdullah Pratt, an emergency medicine physician at the University of Chicago Medicine, told me recently. I was chatting with him about the situations he’d witnessed in the E.R., specifically the ones that made him change his own behavior. To start, he told me, he would never wear Crocs when it’s snowy or icy outside.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43nHTvs
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.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
FAIRVIEW: Via Fairview, VERBATIM: “Fairview Health Services, one of the largest integrated health systems in the Midwest, announced John C. Heinmiller as its new board chair. With decades of expertise in the medical technology industry, including finance, strategic leadership, and business growth—particularly in navigating large-scale transactions—Heinmiller is poised to help guide Fairview’s continued growth and maintain its mission to improve the health of the communities it serves.”
HEALTHCARE: From Dan Niepow via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “On Wall Street, health executives love to talk about ‘value-based care.’ Since 2011, the term has popped up in earnings calls 1,800 times, health news website Stat reported in early December. The basic idea is to reimburse providers for actual health outcomes. In some cases, the concept transfers financial risks and rewards to providers based on performance benchmarks, which is why some value-based care arrangements are also referred to as downside or upside risk contracts. The goal, in either case, is to cut costs for patients and providers alike. ‘Value-based care’ has been bandied about locally, too.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41tgmpJ
From morning take…
NEWBORNS: via an MDH press release, VERBATIM: “The Newborn Screening Program at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has begun screening newborns for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency. Early identification and treatment of these disorders is key to slowing the progression of symptoms as well as extending and improving the quality of children’s lives. … DMD is a disorder that causes muscle breakdown. … GAMT deficiency is a lifelong metabolic disorder causing a toxic buildup that, if left untreated, results in learning and behavioral challenges as well as serious brain and muscle problems.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41Gh9VI
STILLWATER: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Plans to build a new, expanded Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater are moving forward, and HealthPartners hopes to break ground on the estimated $400 million project later this year. The number of patients seen daily at the hospital has about doubled in the last five years, according to Lakeview Hospital President Brandi Lunneborg. HealthPartners has targeted a site a few miles west of the current hospital. … HealthPartners is scheduled to present the latest site design plans to the city council on March 26…[hoping] to begin construction by the fall.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43ftQIa
Sign up for morning take…
HOSPITALS: Via Allina, VERBATIM: “Allina Health’s Abbott Northwestern and United hospitals are on Newsweek’s list of the World’s Best Hospitals 2025 . . . The World’s Best Hospitals 2025 ranking lists the best hospitals in 30 countries: USA, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, United Kingdom, South Korea, Brazil, India, Spain, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Colombia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Malaysia, Thailand, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Israel, and Singapore. The countries were selected based on multiple comparability factors, such as standard of living/life expectancy, population size, number of hospitals, and data availability.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41ojN0M
MORE: ICYMI in health take last week, here’s the Newsweek list. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/41hCYt9
MAYO: From Marty Velasco Hames via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic announced a nearly $1.9 billion investment in the continued transformation of its Phoenix campus as part of its Bold. Forward. strategy to Cure, Connect and Transform healthcare for the benefit of patients everywhere.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43nEMUe
SUMMER CAMP: From Andrea Lahouze via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Summer camp makes ‘I’m bored’ vanish faster than marshmallows at a bonfire. Even more good news: Beyond the s’mores and sing-alongs lies a hidden world of benefits for your kiddo’s mental and physical well-being. It’s like a nature-infused, biohacking, social-skill-boosting app that doesn’t require a device. Here’s what your post-camp kid could be rocking upon their return.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41KFBEf
THEATER: From Andy Steiner via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Lucy Prebble was inspired to write her award-winning play, ‘The Effect’ — which focuses on a love story between participants in a medical trial — in part after learning about a botched trial that caused some of the participants to suffer organ failure. Similarly, real-life happenings, including the lingering impact of Covid, increased rates of mental illness worldwide and the rising use of psychiatric medication, were on the minds of Alison Ruth and Christina Baldwin when they argued that the play should be included in Jungle Theater’s 2025 season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3F4J1da
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
APNEA: From American Academy of Neurology via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “People with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, but if started early enough, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce that risk, according to a preliminary study released March 2, 2025, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 77th Annual Meeting taking place April 5–9, 2025, in San Diego and online. The study found using CPAP within two years of a sleep apnea diagnosis reduced the risk of Parkinson's.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Xtxcn0
DECISIONS: From University of Minnesota via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Making decisions in uncertain situations is part of daily life. New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School has uncovered that anxiety and apathy -- two common but distinct emotional states -- lead to fundamentally different patterns in how people learn and make decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41sJXQd
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