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POLLING
MAHA: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “A new poll from a progressive polling firm shows support for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is narrow and highly vulnerable, and that support drops significantly when voters learn about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s actions in office and his policies. The poll, conducted by Data for Progress and RFK Jr Watch, a project of 314 Action, comes from a national sample of 2,350 likely voters. While many say they support the movement’s goals, only one in six actually identify with the movement. Roughly 30% of those polled outright reject it. Half of Republicans (50%) and 40% of swing district voters said they support many tenets of MAHA but do not identify with the movement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48Uw4yv
AI: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America reports that 25% of Americans have used an AI tool or chatbot for health information or advice, mainly as a supplemental tool for their care. Over half of recent users say they have used AI because they prefer to research on their own before or after seeing a doctor.”
“Regardless of the reason, almost half of Americans who have used AI for healthcare information (46%) say the AI tool or chatbot made them feel more confident when talking with or asking questions of a provider. Others claim that it helped them identify issues earlier (22%) or avoid unnecessary medical tests or procedures (19%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ct9XjT
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
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)
MN HEALTH HEADLINES
PHANTOM BILLING: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The Medicare statement that showed up in John Nides’ mailbox in Mendota Heights contained the disclaimer, ‘THIS IS NOT A BILL,’ in bold letters on the front page. But a closer look revealed thousands of dollars in troubling charges that could largely fall on taxpayers in Minnesota and across the country . . . The statement showed charges for hundreds of catheters over the course of five months last year. Nides does not need catheterization, never asked for the devices and never received them. His experience is part of what federal investigators call ‘phantom billing,’ where the names of Medicare beneficiaries are used to seek reimbursement for medical supplies or services that were never provided.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cfVPeX
I FALLS: Via Essentia, VERBATIM: “Essentia Health is proud to announce a $50,000 contribution to support the International Falls Community Wellness Center project. This contribution will support efforts to transform the high school’s outdated weight room into a modern Community Wellness Center designed to support mental and physical health, youth development and community wellness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tSnvMT
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)
HCMC: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota clergy are calling on state legislators to save Minnesota’s last remaining public safety-net hospital, HCMC. Faith leaders from around the state gathered at the state capitol sharing personal accounts of life-saving care provided by the level one trauma center, arguing that the hospital’s unique mission to treat everyone regardless of their ability to pay is a lifeline for many Minnesotans.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4sGYmDY
NEW CEO: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Just a few days into the job, new Hennepin Healthcare CEO Dr. John Cumming is already facing a major financial crisis. The health system is under immense strain, losing millions each year, and its flagship hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center, is on track to close later this year if the Minnesota Legislature doesn’t intervene. Cumming says he knew what he was getting into when he accepted the job.” QUOTE: “When I saw the opportunity to help, I raised my hand,” Cumming said. “That’s with eyes wide open. I know this organization. I believe in the organization.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cKBcHT
MORE: Twin Cities Business also interviewed Dr. Cumming. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ti8eFi
MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists, physicians and trainees will present nearly 60 studies on emerging cancer therapies, diagnostics and prevention strategies at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, April 17–22 at the San Diego Convention Center. The meeting is a premier forum for the global cancer research community to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cf1LVv
340B HOSPITAL MARKUPS HURT PATIENTS: Minnesota’s latest 340B report shows covered entities generated $1.34 billion IN PROFIT in 2024, including an estimated $261 million from Medicaid prescriptions. Independent research finds the program raises costs for patients, taxpayers, and employers statewide. Minnesota should sunset the 340B mandate and Congress should fix the federal 340B program, so it actually helps patients. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/46Bh9IA (SPONSORED: PhRMA)
DC + HEALTH
RFK JR: Via The Washington Post, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his controversial record leading the nation’s health department, as Democrats argued his changes on vaccines threatened public health in America and pushed back against his proposed budget cuts. On Thursday, Kennedy kicked off a marathon of seven congressional hearings where lawmakers grilled him for the first time in more than seven months. The hearings will continue through next week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tSEMWc
EARLIER: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The progressive health care advocacy group Protect Our Care is releasing a highly critical review of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first 14 months in office ahead of a marathon series of hearings he will have in the House and Senate this month to defend President Trump’s budget request. In the report titled ‘Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vs. Public Health,’ shown first to The Hill, Protect Our Care highlights the secretary’s actions on vaccines, medical research, food as well as his apparent aims of mobilizing his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ base as a key voting block ahead of the midterms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sAdjHT
RECALL: Via Today, VERBATIM: “A specific lot of the widely prescribed anti-anxiety drug Xanax has been recalled nationwide for not passing quality control tests concerning the time the pills take to dissolve, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Prescription-only, 3-milligram pills of Xanax XR in bottles of 60 tablets made in Ireland have been voluntarily recalled by West Virginia-based distributor Viatris Specialty LLC, according to a notice posted by the FDA on April 15.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eozME7
AFFORDABILITY: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration is bringing on a new official to focus on health care affordability, the Department of Health and Human Services tells Axios. Why it matters: The personnel move suggests the administration is attempting to respond to voters’ concerns about health care costs ahead of the midterm elections.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mC4knZ
VIRUS: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Rotavirus, a seasonal virus similar to influenza, has been rising across the U.S. since January. With infection rates higher now than this time last year, doctors have fresh concerns that declining vaccinations could lead to more severe illness and a higher surge in the coming years. The virus — which is spread by hands touching an infected surface, then touching the mouth — used to be a major cause of severe illness among babies and young children in the U.S., responsible for more than 200,000 emergency room visits, up to 70,000 hospitalizations and dozens of deaths each year, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. That drastically changed after the first oral vaccine was approved 20 years ago.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tiY3Ag
340B KEEPS RURAL HOSPITALS OPEN: With 30% of hospitals operating in the red, the 340B drug pricing program supports rural and safety-net hospitals that provide critical services to underserved communities. Thank you to the bipartisan group of Minnesota Senators who voted to support rural health care and stand up to Big Pharma. Now, we need the Minnesota House to do the same: strengthen the 340B program with real enforcement authority and ensure local hospitals can continue to deliver the care Minnesotans need. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Rural_Hospitals (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
RESEARCH & INNOVATION
TRANSPLANT: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “About 40 million people in the U.S. are living with diabetes. Most are able to manage the condition with medication and lifestyle changes. But in some cases, diabetes, type 1 or type 2, can lead to more serious problems, including chronic kidney disease, even kidney failure, leaving patients with only one option – a pancreas-kidney transplant. The transplant has been performed for decades. Now, surgeons at Mayo Clinic are performing the transplant robotically.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41zKrEy
VIRUS: Via Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, VERBATIM: “Scientists have taken a major step toward stopping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an extremely common infection linked to cancer and chronic disease. By using mice engineered with human antibody genes, researchers created powerful human-like antibodies that block the virus from attaching to and entering immune cells. One of these antibodies completely prevented infection in lab models with human immune systems, marking a breakthrough after years of difficulty tackling EBV’s ability to invade nearly all B cells.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ccQEfK
CELL THERAPY: Via Newsweek, VERBATIM: “CAR‑T cell therapy, a cutting‑edge cancer treatment, is showing growing promise far beyond oncology—offering potential relief to people with severe autoimmune diseases who have exhausted other options.” QUOTE: “In simple terms, CAR T‑cell therapy is a form of treatment that uses a person’s own immune cells to attack and kill their cancer cells,” Dr. Vinod Balasa, medical director of Valley Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, told Newsweek. “While chemotherapy uses a shotgun approach that can impact normal cells while it kills cancer cells, CAR T‑cell therapy is a targeted treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vF25oc
ALZHEIMER’S: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Since the approval of new Alzheimer’s drugs in recent years, there has been a lingering question: While data indicated that they could modestly slow cognitive decline for some patients, would that effect be meaningful or too slight to make difference? A new review of research spanning a decade, published on Wednesday, concluded that the clinical benefit of these and similar drugs is negligible. But the way the review was conducted spurred heated criticism from many Alzheimer’s experts, including some who had been skeptical of some of them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dO10E0
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
STAR GALA: Via Children’s, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota is excited to announce the 34th annual Star Gala raised a record-breaking $3.7 million to benefit the nonprofit pediatric health system’s mental health program. Star Gala is regarded as one of the biggest nights of the year for the Twin Cities philanthropic community. This year’s event supported The Kid Experts at Children’s Minnesota who support children and families across the full continuum of mental health care, from outpatient psychology to inpatient treatment, so families can access the level of care that best fits their child’s needs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QhtKv4
MUSIC: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Joe McDonell hadn’t studied music since grade school and still can’t read notes. But on a recent evening, he sat down and wrote his first song. Titled ‘Not Who You Are,’ the lyrics seemed to hit the page with ease, the U.S. Army veteran said. The words were coming from his heart — though admittedly a darker place — reminiscing on the mistakes he has made in life and the struggle to overcome negative emotions . . . The unique opportunity came from McDonell’s participation in the South St. Louis County Veterans Treatment Court. He was one of four members who recently completed a music therapy retreat offered through the national nonprofit Challenge America. The initiative pairs local veterans in the criminal justice system with professionals across the country. They work together over several sessions with the goal of helping the participants express themselves and find healing through the art of music.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41DGizu
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