Black Americans expect to face racism in the doctor’s office, survey finds
People of color who have a doctor who looks like them report more satisfaction with their health care. Here, Abel Woldu and Dr. Kelsey Angell participate in the University of Minnesota’s white coat ceremony in 2022. Half of that incoming class of doctors-in-training are people of color. Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images Many people […]
Cities grapple with costs of removing PFAS from drinking water
In a field south of Highway 61, Cottage Grove Mayor Myron Bailey watched as bulldozers moved dirt for a new, $39 million treatment plant to remove so-called “forever chemicals” from the city’s water supply. “It’s taken 17 years to get here,” said Bailey, referring to how long it’s been since human-made PFAS, or per- and […]
3 key facts about RSV and kids this season in Minnesota
Last year was one of the worst in recent Minnesota history for RSV infections and hospitalizations. This season has been much more manageable, although numbers are rising and health officials are keeping close watch on the data. Here’s what they’re seeing. 1) It’s not as bad as last year, so far While pediatricians have been […]
Feeling alone? 5 tips to create connection and combat loneliness
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images Around the globe, about 1 in 4 adults says they’re lonely. And the consequences of long-term social disconnection can be dire — everything from an increased risk of heart attacks to dementia and premature death. But social isolation isn’t new or uncommon. And pangs of loneliness aren’t catastrophic. In fact, […]
Health is on the agenda at UN climate negotiations. Here’s why that’s a big deal
Major flooding has hit Kenya in November. The disasters are likely intensified by climate change, and are causing ongoing health issues across the region. World leaders are discussing the health impacts of climate change at the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai this month. AFP via Getty Images/LUIS TATO Heat wave after heat wave swept across […]
Novelist Brian Duren’s new ‘Gravity’
Twin Cities novelist Brian Duren has a problem. “I don’t want to stop writing until I’ve written all the books that I’ve got in my head. But I don’t know when I’m going to stop getting books [in] my head. So this might just go on, and on, and on,” he laughed. Writing often tends […]
RSV rising, COVID-19 continuing up, flu starting
Respiratory illnesses are on the rise. COVID-19 and more recently influenza have been leading to more hospitalizations, but respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is currently increasing fastest among the three in the Twin Cities seven-county region. Over the most recent two weeks, the number of RSV-related hospital admissions in the Twin Cities more than doubled, compared with […]
Minnesota agencies pledge new steps to reduce nitrate
State agencies told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday they will do more to address nitrate contamination in southeast Minnesota’s karst region. Earlier this year, environmental groups petitioned the EPA, saying nitrate in eight southeast Minnesota counties’ drinking water poses an imminent health risk. Last month, EPA regional administrator Debra Shore said state agencies […]
Deadly salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe grows
Consumers shouldn’t eat pre-cut cantaloupe if they don’t know the source, U.S. health officials said Thursday, as the number of illnesses and recalls tied to a deadly salmonella outbreak grows. At least 117 people in 34 U.S. states have been sickened by contaminated cantaloupe, including 61 who were hospitalized and two who died, according to the […]
Nashwauk is considering losing ambulance services
CATHY WURZER: During a medical emergency, you can count on an ambulance to likely be at your home within about 10 minutes. And sometimes minutes matter. But a city on the Iron Range is at risk of losing that critical service. The city of Nashwauk says it’s considering selling its ambulance service. Here to explain […]