December 27, 2000 - Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in certain populations. Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans have the highest incidence of diabetes in the country. And it's on the rise. But so is awareness of the disease. Diabetes prevention programs are emerging from within these communities. Mainstreet Radio's Marisa Helms reports on how members of Minnesota's White Earth reservation are approaching the problem.
December 28, 2000 - When lawmakers gather at the Capitol for the 2001 session, their main purpose is to pass a two-year state budget. Governor Jesse Ventura will reveal his budget in late January, a budget he's spent months preparing. Political observers say the Governor's second budget will define his administration by showing his top priorities. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
December 29, 2000 -
January 2, 2001 - Anti-smoking activists are going out for lunch today in Duluth. A city ordinance went into effect yesterday banning smoking in restaurants -- or at least restricting it. Today at lunchtime, representatives of an anti-smoking group are checking dozens of restaurants to see if the businesses are obeying the new law. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports from Duluth.
January 2, 2001 - The new year brings with it a new Congress, a new president, and a new state legislature... all of which will have an affect on Minnesota's health care industry. A number of issues... prescription drug prices, Medicare reform, and a patients bill of rights were major issues during the election. And healthcare costs have gone up sharply the last few years. Joining us to talk about the STATE of the healthcare industry in Minnesota is Dr. John Christianson, director of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School Center for the Study of Healthcare Management.
January 2, 2001 - As one person put it: It's easier to get a divorce than remove a tattoo and sometimes much cheaper. Once the literal marks of rebels and outcasts, tattoos and piercings have crossed the line into the realm of fashion accessory. Now one Minnesota college is trying to educate students and others about the risks of body art, both in the short and long term . The aim of the peer education program at Minnesota State University-Moorhead is not to discourage individuals from body art, but to make sure its done safely. Minnesota Public Radios Bob Reha reports. {Sitting at her desk at the Herndrix Health Center at the Minnesota State University Moorhead campus Lynn Peterson is talking tattoos, and piercings: nose rings, tongue studs, pierced navels. She knows a lot about this stuff, and as the advisior for the Centers Peer Educator program, she wants students to know a lot about body art too.
January 3, 2001 -
January 8, 2001 - Twin Cities hospitals are increasingly diverting ambulances because their emergency rooms are too full. Last year metro area hospitals reportedly closed their doors about one-thousand times because of too many patients and not enough staff. Dave Feinwachs (FYN-wahks) is General Counsel for the Minnesota Hospital and Health Care Partnership which represents 142 hospitals in Minnesota. He says the practice involves patients who are not in life-threatening situations and who can be safely sent to a neighboring hospital ten to fifteen minutes away.
January 9, 2001 - A Mayo Clinic study published in the latest issue of Neurology has found that people with diabetes and high blood pressure are more likely to experience a decline in mental ability than people who DON'T suffer from these conditions. The nationwide study backs up earlier claims that diabetes and high blood pressure can impact a person's mental acuity late in life. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
January 10, 2001 - Researchers at the Hennepin County Medical Center are reporting an increase in overdoses from GHB and related substances. GHB is also known as liquid ecstasy and has been banned. But HCMC researchers published a report in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine says the ban isn't stopping fitness buffs and teenagers from obtaining the substance. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...