FREE SCREENINGS: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “We were thrilled to partner with M Health Fairview to bring free health screenings on Saturday, July 19 to the 2025 Hmong Community Explore Your Parks event in Brooklyn Center!” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4mi1V0k (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
POLL: Via Talker, VERBATIM: “The secret to better mental health might be just one flight away, according to a new poll. A survey of 2,000 Americans found that the average American feels 67% better mentally after going on a trip. Not only that, but those who travel more consistently and frequently were far more likely to have better mental health than those who don’t.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41fQP3U
FITTEST CITIES: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Good job, Minneapolis and St. Paul, you are among the most fit cities in America. Residents of the two cities were more likely to go for a run or bike ride, engage in strength-building activities, eat their fruits and vegetables, and overall live healthy active lifestyles than peers in other U.S. cities, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Minneapolis came in at No. 6 on this year’s American Fitness Index while St. Paul checked in at No. 18.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3JbdHLD
MORE: Via ACSM, the rankings. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4omSBKH
RETIREMENT: Via Investment News, VERBATIM: “According to Fidelity's 24th annual Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate, released Wednesday, a 65-year-old retiring this year will need an average of $172,500 to cover health care and medical expenses throughout retirement. The figure marks a more than 4% increase from last year’s estimate and continues a steady rise since the company’s first projection of $80,000 in 2002.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3U9iLmb
MEDS: Via Becker’s Hospital Review, VERBATIM: “Pharmaceutical prices are expected to rise by 3.35% in 2026, according to Vizient’s latest Pharmacy Market Outlet report, released in July. The report found that price pressures are easing in certain areas due to biosimilar competition, especially with respect to drugs such as Humira and Stelara. High-use inpatient medications are also expected to see price declines. Pediatric drugs are expected to have the highest inflation rate, at 3.93%, while prices in the self-administered medication segment dropped from 4.53% to 3.3%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4obuTAZ
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
AIR: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “We already know there's an Air Quality Alert for all of Minnesota through later in the day Saturday. But this bad? You can actually taste the smoke from Canadian wildfires in Minnesota. That real-time air quality is tracked by the World Air Quality Index and for part of the day Wednesday, Minneapolis had the second worst air of any major city on the planet, trailing only Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. And just ahead of Dubai, UAE. This is not the company you want to keep obviously.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/476kDUj
MORE: As of this writing, the World Air Quality Index has Minneapolis with the third worst air – still behind Kinshasa with Chicago at the top of the list. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/45frvwk
MORE: Via MPR, an explanation of the different air quality levels, who is most at risk, and what should be done to protect against bad air. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m3oMNK
DEMENTIA: From University of Cambridge via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Air pollution has recently been identified as a risk factor for dementia, with several studies pointing the finger at a number of pollutants. However, the strength of evidence and ability to determine a causal effect has been varied.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41ddgqs
PLASTICS: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Humans are likely inhaling far greater amounts of lung-penetrating microplastics than previously assumed, scientists are warning. People may be breathing in about 100 times more of these tiny fragments than past estimates indicated — from sources based both outside and indoors, including in homes and cars, researchers revealed in a new study, published on Wednesday in PLOS One.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UCDkYj
OUTBREAK: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “A report in Clinical Infectious Diseases describes the largest US outbreak of fungal meningitis caused by Fusarium species, which occurred among residents who received epidural anesthesia for cosmetic surgeries with the same anesthesiologist in Matamoros, Mexico, in 2023. Of the 24 patients sickened, 12 died, which the authors say underscores the need for clinicians to suspect fungal meningitis in patients with negative bacterial and viral cultures and molecular testing who underwent epidural anesthesia for any reason.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lPlLAl
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)
ST CLOUD: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A new medical school in St. Cloud aims to help address a severe shortage of physicians serving rural Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Medical School’s CentraCare Regional Campus is the first expansion of the U’s medical school in more than 50 years, since the Duluth campus opened in 1972. It’s also a unique partnership between the university and CentraCare, the region’s largest health care provider, which is facing an urgent need for more doctors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40Jmv1q
CLINIC: Via Project Optimist, VERBATIM: “His patients and community members know him simply as Dr. Bashir. He is the first person of Somali descent to open a private medical practice in St. Cloud. Dr. Bashir Moallin, owns and operates Hayat Clinic, 3405 Third St., in St. Cloud. A primary care provider, Dr. Moallin immigrated to the United States from Somalia as a refugee in 2014, and speaks Somali, Arabic, and English.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lW4Fks
25,000: Via Eden Prairie-based Elucent, VERBATIM: “Elucent Medical is proud to announce that more than 25,000 successful procedures have been performed using the EnVisio In-Body Spatial Intelligence platform. This milestone reflects Elucent’s ongoing commitment to transforming breast cancer surgery through innovation; by providing smarter and more precise technology.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UFVDMe
NEXT MONTH: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Pam Lanhart knows all too well of the pain of addiction; her son Jake died from a fentanyl overdose at 24 . . . In 2016, Lanhart founded Thrive Family Recovery Resources to teach families what no one taught her during the years that Jake was struggling . . . On August 20, people in the east metro community will have the opportunity learn more when they attend an open house at Thrive Family Recovery Resources at their new resource hub in Eagan.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lS8irj
HEALTH RECORDS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “President Trump on Wednesday announced the development of a health care records system that he said would allow Americans to more easily and broadly share their personal health information with health care providers. ‘Today the dream of easily transportable, electronic medical records finally becomes a reality,’ Mr. Trump said at a White House event that included the leaders of dozens of technology companies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lOJZus
FDA: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump overruled his health secretary and FDA chief on Tuesday, and ordered the removal of the government’s top vaccine regulator, four people with knowledge of the decision told POLITICO. The four, granted anonymity to speak about the details of Trump’s decision, said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary opposed dismissing Vinay Prasad, who had been on the job three months and had recently come under attack by right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45vPxEk
MORE: Via Fierce Pharma, VERBATIM: “Following the departure of Vinay Prasad, M.D., former head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), the FDA has already tapped someone else to temporarily fill his shoes. Freshly appointed Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) leader George Tidmarsh, M.D., Ph.D., will now take on the role of acting director of CBER as well, according to an internal letter from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., to staffers that was viewed by Fierce.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47flp1g
ESSENTIA HEALTH INVESTS IN TWIN PORTS NURSES: Total payroll for Essentia Health Duluth-Superior nurses is $164 million, with $53 million paid in salary increases over the past 3 years. Essentia Health has also increased clinical support staff by 10% over the past 3 years, providing additional support for those nurses. Over half of Duluth area nurses have been with us for over 5 years and enjoy exceptional work-life balance. To join our team at Essentia Health, search for openings HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3FzLe0i (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
VAX COMMITTEE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The 17 experts who were ousted from a government vaccine committee last month say they have little faith in what the panel has become, and have outlined possible alternative ways to make U.S. vaccine policy. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, accusing them of being too closely aligned with manufacturers and of rubber-stamping vaccines. He handpicked replacements that include several vaccine skeptics. In a commentary published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the former panel members wrote that Kennedy — a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before becoming the U.S. government’s top health official — and his new panel are abandoning rigorous scientific review and open deliberation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/477RO9Z
SNAP: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Adults who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, experienced slightly slower cognitive decline over the course of a decade than those who were eligible for the program but did not enroll in it. That’s according to new research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. Diet and brain health are closely connected, and not having enough food is associated with poorer cognitive function and higher incidences of dementia in older adults.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fhcnTG
STUDY: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) will introduce a bill to award federal grants to study uterine fibroids as one of several competing bipartisan measures to support study of the noncancerous growths common in women of childbearing age. The bill would establish a new grant program of unspecified amount and duration to support research on early detection of and intervention for uterine fibroids, including screening procedures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45fww88
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)
AI: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Deep inside the body, a slow-growing cluster of mutated blood cells can form. This cluster, found in 1 in 5 older adults, can raise the risk of leukemia and heart disease, often without warning. To better understand this hidden risk, Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help investigators uncover how it contributes to disease risk and progression. In a study published in Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, the tool showed promising results in identifying early signs of this condition, known as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, or CHIP.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4feMLqB
LIFE TIME: Via news release from Chanhassen-based Life Time, VERBATIM: “Not sure what kind of upper body workout to do today? Or which supplements you should start with? Just ask L•AI•C, Life Time's (NYSE: LTH) AI-powered healthy way of life companion. Now available to everyone through the complimentary Life Time app, L•AI•C (pronounced ‘lay-see’) delivers instant, science-backed guidance for fitness, nutrition, recovery, and more — all fueled by Life Time's decades of health and wellness expertise.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ogIYNu
HAZELDEN: Via news release from Center City-based Hazelden Betty Ford, VERBATIM: “Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit system of addiction treatment and mental health care, has appointed four accomplished professionals to its Board of Trustees: Patrick Denzer, Dr. Christopher Keir, Dr. Monica Mayer and Cini Robb.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/459HRGv
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SLEEP: From Health Data Science via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “A global study of over 88,000 adults reveals that poor sleep habits—like going to bed inconsistently or having disrupted circadian rhythms—are tied to dramatically higher risks for dozens of diseases, including liver cirrhosis and gangrene. Contrary to common belief, sleeping more than 9 hours wasn't found to be harmful when measured objectively, exposing flaws in previous research.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3JdKWOo
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