December 28, 2001 - The largest, and longest running study of hunger in America shows last year nearly half of the people using food-shelves were working, many at full time jobs. As Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports, with the economy in recession, Second Harvest officials are braced for an unprecedented need for emergency food. {
January 2, 2002 - **For Wed 1/2 M.E.** Beginning next week, an unusual appeals panel sets up shop in Minnesota; it'll be the first of its kind in the country. The panel, comprised of three former Twin Cities judges, will act as a kind of appeals court when health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield denies mental health coverage to a subscriber. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports:
January 2, 2002 - Medicare payment disparities are hurting rural Minnesota. That's according to a new report written by former Minnesota DFL congressman David Minge, and sponsored by the Blandin Foundation. The study is the first of its kind for putting a dollar figure on the difference between rural and urban rates in Medicare, which is the federal government's biggest health care program for seniors. Joining us on the line is David Minge. -- What are the main findings of the study? -- Why the disparities between rural and urban areas? -- How is this study different?
January 4, 2002 - In today's edition of the Minneapolis-based business journal CityBusiness, William George will be named Executive of the Year. George is the Chairman of Medtronic. He was chosen for his contributions to the company and his commitment to the community. George has increased Medtronic's market worth by more than 170 percent since he joined the company in 1989. He left his position as CEO last summer, and will retire as chairman this May. Sam Black wrote the article about George for CityBusiness. He says George has an interesting approach to leadership.
January 4, 2002 - January 4, 2002 How good is health information on the Web? This is Future Tense for January 4th. I'm Jon Gordon. A study from the University of Michigan finds that patients who search the Web for information on a kind of skin cancer called melanoma are getting mostly accurate, but incomplete information. Christopher Bichakjian is a Michigan dermatologist and lead author of the study. Christopher Bichakjian is a dermatologist at the University of Michigan. He says consumers should get their health information from Web sites produced by major hospitals, clinics, research institutions and government agencies. He says don't rely on personal pages of others who have your disease, because the information may not apply to you.
January 8, 2002 - A new study by a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis finds that new amusement park rides may lead to neurological symptoms in riders. Dr. Robert Braksiek (BRAUT sick) warns that emergency room physicians may be seeing a significant increase in head, neck, and back trauma caused by the faster speeds and longer falls in new rides. His research appears in the January Edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Braksiek is on the line now. That's Dr. Robert Braksiek (BRAUT sick) of the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
January 9, 2002 - Rainy Lake is a favorite for swimming and fishing, but it is no longer safe for ice fishing and snowmobiling. The January ice is looking like March ice this year. It lost two inches of ices within eight hours.
January 11, 2002 - An article published today in the Minneapolis-based Business Journal CityBusiness suggests elective medical procedures are taking a hit in the recession. The journal says many clinics that offer procedures generally not covered by insurance policies have seen a downturn in business. Sam Black wrote the article for today's CityBusiness. He says a wide range of procedures have been affected.
January 15, 2002 - University of Minnesota officials are apologizing today for a breach of patient confidentiality. University of Minnesota researchers mistakenly revealed the names of deceased organ donors to 410 patients who received kidneys. Organ donor names are supposed to be kept secret from the people who receive those organs. University officials say the donors were identified because of a glitch in a computer-generated letter sent to recipients participating in a long-term study. Jeffery Kahn is the director of the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics. He says the names of donors are kept private to protect all of the individuals involved:
January 17, 2002 -