FDA will let some adults get a second boost of the bivalent COVID-19 shot
Even though the uptake of the omicron booster has been lackluster, federal officials have decided they will soon let some adults get a second shot. Scott Olson | Getty Images The Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow some people to get a second booster with one of the COVID-19 vaccines that have been […]
Minnesota Court of Appeals rejects abortion challenge bid
The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday rejected an attempt by the Traverse County prosecutor to appeal a judge’s decision last year that threw out most of the state’s restrictions on abortion as unconstitutional. Ramsey County District Judge Thomas Gilligan ruled last July, in a lawsuit filed by abortion rights supporters, that Minnesota’s restrictions — including a 24-hour waiting […]
Fairview, Sanford push health systems merger plan back to at least August
Fairview and Sanford Health said Monday they are pushing back their target deadline to merge. The two health care companies originally set an end-of-March goal but reset to May 31 amid pushback from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and calls for the state to exclude the University of Minnesota from the merger. The attorney general’s […]
Minnesota lets nurses practice while disciplinary investigations drag on. Patients keep getting hurt.
By Emily Hopkins and Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. This story was co-published with Minnesota Public Radio and KARE-TV. Amy Morris started working at Hilltop Health Care Center in Watkins, Minn., in June […]
Ticks! Ick! The latest science on the red meat allergy caused by some tick bites
A Lone Star tick (middle) flanked by a deer tick (left) and a dog tick. The Lone Star tick is thought to be primarily responsible for an allergy to red meat, but other ticks can’t be ruled out. Getty Images There’s an increase in emergency department visits for tick bites this time of year as […]
New research on COVID outcomes by state
Last week The Lancet published an article analyzing differences in state-level demographics, policies and even behaviors to see what bearing they had on both health and economic outcomes during the first 2.5 years of the pandemic. For Minnesotans, one finding of interest is that while the state had the sixth lowest unadjusted COVID-19 death rate […]
As states start to get opioid settlement cash, few are sharing how they spend it
Marianne Sinisi, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, lost her 26-year-old son, Shawn, to an opioid overdose in 2018. She wants the opioid settlement dollars to be spent in ways that help spare other parents similar grief. Nancy Andrews/KHN Since last spring, drugmakers and distributors have sent out about $3 billion in opioid settlement funds to thousands of […]
Minnesota rushes to re-up hundreds of thousands at risk of losing Medicaid after pandemic
Starting Saturday, states across the country will be able to drop large numbers of people off Medicaid who were allowed to stay in the program during the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes some 1.5 million Minnesotans in low-income health programs, many of whom will soon be in danger of losing needed coverage. Those at risk who […]
A barge carrying methanol broke free in the Ohio River
Three barges are jammed up against the McAlpine Dam on the Ohio River, just off the shore in Louisville, Ky. Officials say a barge carrying 1,400 tons of methanol is partially submerged. Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Emergency teams are working to secure 10 barges that broke loose from a tugboat on the Ohio River […]
Mosquito season on its way — with vengeance
The bouts of drought these last couple of years have caused trouble for mosquitos. But with an snowier than usual winter making way for a wet spring, they’ll be coming back with a vengeance. So, how we can brace ourselves for an especially active mosquito season? Here are tips from Alex Carlson, public affairs manager […]