TOMORROW: From UCare via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Tune in Wednesday morning at 11am for some fresh insights from UCare’s own Cassidy Gardenier, Equity & Inclusion Officer, about what makes Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) succeed.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/42GHfc3 WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hFvjeI (SPONSORED: UCare)
POLL: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Many Americans say they do not believe the Democratic Party is focused on the economic issues that matter most to them and is instead placing too much emphasis on social issues that they consider less urgent. Asked to identify the Democratic Party’s most important priorities, Americans most often listed abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. rights and climate change, according to a poll from The New York Times and Ipsos conducted from Jan. 2 to 10. The issues that people cited as most important to them personally were the economy and inflation, health care and immigration, the poll found. The kinds of social causes that progressive activists have championed in recent years ranked much lower.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40HnQox
TARIFFS: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “Industry executives warn that tariffs on imports from China, along with Canada and Mexico if the temporary reprieves expire after a month, threaten to escalate healthcare costs, disrupt supply chains and create affordability challenges for patients, according to a Black Book Market Research poll. Among the healthcare supply chain professionals, pharmaceutical executives, distributors and medical equipment manufacturers who were surveyed over the past week, there is widespread apprehension about escalating costs for hospitals, physicians, payers and patients.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CsSUAy
WEIGHT LOSS: Via Newsweek, VERBATIM: “A majority of Americans approve of adults using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and other brands to treat obesity, according to a new poll. But public support is weaker for adolescents, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q3HMgt
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
MDH: The Office of the Legislative Auditor conducted an evaluation of the Minnesota Department of Health’s handling of human resources complaints. The report was accompanied by a letter to the Legislative Audit Commission. QUOTE: “The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH’s) Human Resources Management Division (HR division) receives complaints involving MDH employees and investigates complaint allegations when warranted. While MDH employees, unions, and HR investigators generally shared positive perceptions of the HR division’s complaint management, inconsistent documentation and a lack of written procedures made it unclear whether the HR division consistently managed many aspects of employee complaints. Further, some current and former employees we surveyed indicated that they believed they had experienced retaliation after submitting a human resources complaint.” REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4gsnrfH
RFK JR: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department advanced Tuesday after a key swing Republican voted for the nominee in the Senate Finance Committee, likely clearing his path to confirmation. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.), a medical doctor, voted with all of the committee’s Republicans to support Kennedy’s confirmation. His vote followed an unusually intense pressure campaign from Kennedy, his supporters and the Trump administration over the weekend and up to the committee’s vote.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WPl1R9
MORE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “A letter submitted to the U.S. Senate that states it was sent by physicians in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services includes the names of doctors who have had their licenses revoked, suspended or faced other discipline, The Associated Press has found. The letter was meant to lend credibility to Kennedy’s nomination, which has faced strenuous opposition from medical experts due to his two decades of anti-vaccine activism.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gm0ACo
MORE: Via Roll Call, VERBATIM: “Key groups representing physicians in Washington have stayed silent in the face of what their members call a threat to public health. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, groups with tremendous influence in Washington, are among the professional societies for physicians that have not directly weighed in on Kennedy’s nomination — even after last week’s confirmation hearings in which Kennedy refused to unequivocally disavow falsehoods connecting vaccines to autism.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CzZzsG
CDC: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention purged from its website thousands of pages that included terms such as ‘transgender,’ ‘L.G.B.T.’ and ‘pregnant person,’ to comply with an executive order barring any material that promoted ‘gender ideology.’ By Monday, some of the pages had reappeared, in part in response to intense media coverage, backlash from the scientific community and concern for the public’s health, according to a senior official with knowledge of the matter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aJPK7U
FOOTBALL: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “NFL medical officials are pointing to players choosing new helmet models as a reason concussions continue to decline. Why it matters: The number of head injuries in football is the lowest it's been since tracking began in 2015, according to the league. By the numbers: Diagnosed concussions are down 17% compared to last season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jG6LnD
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)
TODAY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “World Cancer Day's new campaign, ‘United by Unique,’ celebrates the stories of every person affected by cancer. ‘Every experience with cancer is unique, and it will take all of us, united, to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient. This World Cancer Day let's come together to rewrite the future of cancer care — one where the needs of people and communities come first,’ states the campaign website.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hpAAHC
HEART: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. More than 17 million people in the U.S. have coronary heart disease—including just over a quarter of a million Minnesotans. In Minnesota, it remains the second-leading cause of death, with approximately 6,000 lives lost each year. The good news is that we can take proactive steps to reduce our risk of heart disease, and American Heart Month is the perfect time to start.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gperYB
NEXTGEN: From Delane Cleveland via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “When you’re in high school, you don’t always have a clear vision of the path ahead. But students like Aaratrika Mondal have a head start. She and the other students in Wayzata High School’s Honors Mentor Connection program are paired with an industry expert to help them on a year-long research project. Mondal’s focus is in biology.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hmiq9v
WEST ST PAUL: From Eva Herscowitz via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Trish Bremer stood in a sun-drenched room, a big window behind her and a cluster of cozy furniture nearby. Soon, people facing mental health crises will be able to get help in this pastel-toned space — absent the feeling of confinement that can accompany hospitalization. ‘A place like this doesn’t really exist,’ said Bremer, a senior project manager for Dakota County. Bremer was showing off the Crisis and Recovery Center, a spacious building just off Robert Street in West St. Paul. A Feb. 3 ribbon cutting will mark the project’s completion — and cap a yearslong effort to expand mental health services in Dakota County characterized by pockets of pushback and similarly strident support.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hGLys0
ST CLOUD: From Jim Maurice via WJON-Radio, VERBATIM: “A non-profit clinic has been seeing patients for about six months now here in St. Cloud. Aslan Health is at 1400 West St. Germain Street. They are a non-profit family medicine clinic primarily for those who don't have health insurance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/410c7mr
SURMODICS: From Eden Prairie-based Surmodics via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Surmodics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRDX), a leading provider of medical device and in vitro diagnostic technologies to the health care industry, today announced the successful early clinical use of its Pounce XL Thrombectomy System. The Pounce XL Thrombectomy System received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance in September 2024, and is currently in limited market release (LMR), with full commercial launch planned following completion of the LMR.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hIexMa
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
TRAFFIC: From University of Illinois via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Ever notice how much more tempting it is to pick up fast food for dinner after being stuck in traffic? It's not just you. New University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research shows that traffic delays significantly increase visits to fast food restaurants, leading to unhealthier eating for millions each year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hoTIFA
Copyright © 2025 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You signed up or are media / a public official interested in health care news from Fluence Media.
Our mailing address is:
Fluence Media
PO Box 270031
Minneapolis, MN 55427