TODAY: From University YMCA – UofM via Facebook, VERBATIM: “U of MN College Students are invited to join us for Health is Wealth and JJ’s Jab-oree Flu Vacc’s! Thank you to Vaccinate Your Family for their sponsorship, and to UCare for their support of our event. These two partnerships along with Cub Pharm make this colloborative event each year an incredible success!” DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/47Ge3CE (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
POLLING
TAX CREDITS: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Public support remains strong for extending the Obamacare tax credits, which have been central to the U.S. government shutdown due to disagreements over their inclusion in funding packages, according to a new poll from research firm KFF. The poll found that about three-quarters or 74% of U.S. adults are in favor of extending the tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, marginally down from 78% in September.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oXEzP8
MORE: Via KFF, from the poll:
SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4otYEg4
ALCOHOL: Via Conexiant, VERBATIM: “A national survey of 6,793 US adults found that just 37.1% of respondents believed drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer, while more than half said they did not know whether there is a connection. Among the respondents, 9.1% said alcohol does not affect cancer risk, 1% said it decreases cancer risk, and 52.9% answered that they didn’t know whether alcohol affected cancer risk. Adults who had consumed alcohol in the past month were more likely to believe that it does not affect cancer risk.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49B4Az5
END OF LIFE: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “A poll reveals large gaps in older adults’ knowledge about two types of care that could help them or their loved ones cope with a major illness or the end of life: palliative care and hospice. Just over a third (36%) of people age 50 and over say they know something about palliative care, while the rest (64%) say they know very little or not much at all, according to findings from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. A higher percentage of older adults said they know something about hospice care, with 68% saying they know something about this form of end-of-life care that emphasizes comfort, pain relief and dignity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nJ2gcT
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
MEDS
OBESITY: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “President Trump on Thursday announced a deal that could significantly expand access for millions of Americans to hugely popular obesity drugs by reducing the price to as little as $150 a month. The Trump administration’s agreements with the drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly would save consumers and the government considerable money on Wegovy, Zepbound and two obesity pills that are expected to win regulatory approval in the coming months. The lowest price, of $150 a month, will be available only for the lowest doses of the pill form of the drugs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hPQNqD
DISCOUNTS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Nonprofit hospitals and health clinics are alarmed about a change that’s coming to federal drug purchasing discounts next year. They’ll have to pay up front and then get rebates — rather than direct price cuts — in a pilot with eight pharmaceutical companies. Why it matters: The new system, greenlit by the Trump administration, is a win for drugmakers, and it could be a big hassle for providers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nGr3yg
SHUTDOWN
TELEHEALTH: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “The use of telehealth in Medicare began in earnest during the pandemic and quickly became popular. Nearly 7 million people on Medicare use telehealth services every year to see their doctors, but the federal shutdown put an abrupt halt on payments covering those services. Specifically, the temporary pandemic-era allowances that have been repeatedly renewed to enable payments, could no longer be reauthorized. Without that administrative approval, Medicare patients — and their doctors — have been left in a very complicated and confusing limbo.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47tAZX6
HOSPITALS: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “Most healthcare IT vendors say they’ve had ongoing procurements paused as hospitals facing cashflow issues due to the shutdown reconsider their spending, Black Book Market Research recently reported. Citing a poll of 107 business development leaders offering IT and services to healthcare organizations, which was fielded in the final week of October, the market research group outlined signs that buyers are shifting their spend to “must-haves” and other offerings with near-immediate return on investment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43Uf1dm
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)
FUNDING
RESEARCH: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “Federal appeals court judges’ questions and comments during a hearing Wednesday suggested they may be skeptical of some of the Trump administration’s central arguments in a lawsuit challenging its proposed changes to research overhead payments. The case revolves around a multibillion dollar question: Did the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s premier funder of biomedical research, violate federal law in an announced plan to slash support for research overhead?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oLjYOp
RURAL HEALTH: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “In its capacity as Governor Tim Walz‘s designee, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today announced that it has submitted a comprehensive application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for participation in the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The application was developed in collaboration with rural hospitals and health systems, safety net clinics, emergency medical services, local public health agencies and community stakeholders. It outlines a bold five-year plan to stabilize and strengthen rural health care delivery across the state of Minnesota and make strategic use of new technology tools to ensure rural residents can access care closer to home.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oVOO6s
PREPAREDNESS: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate a federal disaster preparedness program threatens a fund used by state health systems from Republican-led Texas to the Democratic stronghold of California. The Hospital Preparedness Program was created more than two decades ago in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the deadly anthrax attacks that began days later. The fund has provided nearly $2.2 billion to states, territories, major cities, and other entities over the past 17 years to ready health care systems for the next pandemic, cyberattack, or mass-casualty event.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oZNxeB
VETERANS
VA: Via Capital & Main, VERBATIM: “The upheaval caused by the Trump administration’s earlier firings of probationary employees who were then rehired months later, the closing of some VA facilities and the cancellation of medical research trials have had a major impact, say nurses who work at VA facilities, staffers at the department and veterans advocates. Morale is low, say nurses and staffers at VA facilities, who asked not to be identified out of fear of retaliation, noting that this year the VA decided not to conduct its annual staff satisfaction survey — which has been conducted every year since 2006 — citing costs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ou2PZi
BREAST CANCER: Via ProPublica, VERBATIM: “More than two dozen Democrats in the House are pressing the Trump administration to reverse a new policy at the Department of Veterans Affairs that makes it harder for male veterans with breast cancer to get health coverage. The demand, issued in a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, follows a ProPublica story last week that revealed the change. Previously, breast cancer among men was on a list of conditions that the VA presumed were connected to a veteran’s military service. As we reported, the department removed the disease from that list in a memo signed by Collins in September. The directive cited an order that President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office titled: ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47sDKb3
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)
RESEARCH
STEM CELLS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a pioneering method to mend damaged hearts without open-heart surgery, an advance that could one day transform the treatment of heart failure. The new approach uses lab-grown heart tissue made from reprogrammed adult stem cells, delivered through a tiny incision rather than a surgically opened chest cavity. In preclinical testing, the stem cell patch restored heart function and improved healing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hV5KYA
CANCER DRUG: From Northwestern University via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “A Northwestern team transformed a common chemotherapy drug into a powerful, targeted cancer therapy using spherical nucleic acids. The redesign dramatically boosted drug absorption and cancer-killing power while avoiding side effects. This innovation may usher in a new era of precision nanomedicine for cancer and beyond.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nSEHP2
RADIATION: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Radiation has long played a role in the treatment of breast cancer, though doctors have used it more sparingly in early-stage disease in recent years, as advances in diagnostics and treatment have improved survival rates. Now a new study with an unusually long follow-up period has found that radiation to the chest wall made absolutely no difference in survival among women with early-stage breast cancer who had been treated with mastectomy, lymph-node surgery and advanced anti-cancer drugs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oUAsTN
COUNTRIES: Via Phys.org, VERBATIM: “Wealth alone doesn’t make a nation healthy, according to new collaborative research from the University of Surrey and its international partners, which ranks 38 OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries on their progress toward global health goals. The study, published in Annals of Operations Research, shows that some of the world’s wealthiest nations, including the United States and Canada, lag behind smaller economies in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3)—ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. Meanwhile, countries such as Iceland, Japan and Norway lead the way, supported by robust health systems and equitable access to care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Lp4m4g
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)
HEADLINES
FOOD INSPECTIONS: Via ProPublica, VERBATIM: “American inspections of foreign food facilities — which produce everything from crawfish to cookies for the U.S. market — have plummeted to historic lows this year, a ProPublica analysis of federal data shows, even as inspections reveal alarming conditions at some manufacturers. About two dozen current and former Food and Drug Administration officials blame the pullback on deep staffing cuts under the Trump administration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3JxsBwz
NEXTGEN: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Across the schools of Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, programs are training future leaders in approaches that address the breast cancer journey, from the first moment of screening to the years after a diagnosis. Often inspired by the cancer diagnoses of family and friends, students are learning cutting-edge approaches and bringing Mayo Clinic’s primary value — the needs of the patient come first — to breast cancer care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WHB8QA
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
ROACHES: From NC State via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Cockroach infestations don’t just bring creepy crawlers, they fill homes with allergens and bacterial toxins that can trigger asthma and allergies. NC State researchers found that larger infestations meant higher toxin levels, especially from female roaches. When extermination eliminated the pests, both allergens and endotoxins plummeted. The findings highlight how pest control is vital for cleaner, healthier air indoors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nFvTM8
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