December 5, 2000 - Minnesota's state epidemiologist and other food safety experts are calling on a Wisconsin based beef processor to extend its recall of potentially E coli tainted beef. The company is already recalling approximately 1 point 1 million pounds of ground beef from more than a dozen states after 22 Minnesotans were diagnosed with the food borne illness. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
December 6, 2000 - University of Minnesota doctors are hoping a drug that has shown promise treating alcoholism and gambling adiction can also help patients overcome kleptomania. The rare disorder gives people an irresistable impluse to steal. The drug, called Naltrexone, works by blocking the pleasurable high Kleptomanics feel when they shop-lift. Dr. Jon Grant, a Pyschiatric Resident at the U of M, is conducting the study. He says Kleptomania is one of the most disabling disorder's he's come across:
December 6, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports that leaders in Minnesota's Southeast Asian community are calling on government officials to assist them in addressing the issue of domestic violence. They're also asking Hmong people with domestic problems to seek help from neighbors, elders, and counselors before tragedies happen.
December 8, 2000 - The recent E coli outbreak in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa has renewed calls by some food safety experts for improved ways of protecting the food supply. One proposal gaining support in some quarters is the creation of a single federal agency to oversee food safety. The idea is to replace the plethora of federal and state agencies now charged with the responsibility. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
December 13, 2000 - How can we prevent identity theft and medical records? Somebody broke into computers at the University of Washington Medical Center to steal confidential information.
December 15, 2000 - Congress is expected to vote on and pass a 450 billion dollar legislative package today that includes funding for labor, education and healthcare. Minnesota healthcare workers are watching the bill closely, because it contains 100 million dollars for the state's hospitals. The money is intended to make up for cuts in the medicare program after the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. Healthcare officials say its a step in the right direction, but that they'll need more funding to keep Minnesota's hospitals healthy. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post has this report.
December 18, 2000 - U-S News and World Report has named a University Of Minnesota Reseacher one of the nation's ten leading innovators in science and technology. Dr. Catherine Verfaillie heads the University's new Stem Cell Research Institute. Stem Cells are the so-called "mother cells" that have the ability to divide for indefinite periods and give rise to specialized cells in the body. Verfaillie came to Minnesota in 1987 after studying medicine in her native Belgium. I asked her how she became interested in stem cell research:
December 20, 2000 - The country is turning grey. Recent census projections show within 20 years a quarter of the population will be over 65. That population shift requires numerous changes for cities and counties; including housing, transportation and heath care. While those three areas may seem the most critical, many seniors say they're looking for independent living with plenty to do. And that's become a challenge for the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mainstreet radio's Cara Hetland reports:
December 20, 2000 - Former State Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm says the best way to prevent many of outbreaks of e-coli and listeria is through cold pasteurization and irradiation.
December 26, 2000 - In this era of low unemployment, employers are having a difficult time hiring and retaining skilled workers. In the health care sector, where lives are at stake, the hiring crunch is even more severe. Hospital administrators say the nursing shortage comes at a time when the population is growing older and the need for care is growing. Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Doctor's Offices all say the biggest workforce shortage is on the frontlines of medicine: Nurses. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...