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 -
January 17, 2002 - Nurses from around Minnesota are meeting in St. Paul today (THURSDAY) and tomorrow for a conference on terrorism. The meeting is designed to provide nurses and other health care workers with practical information about biological agents and the illnesses associated with them. Speakers will also present the latest local and regional plans for dealing with a terrorist disaster. Dianne O'Connor is a Program Director at the Minnesota Nurses Association, which is coordinating the conference. She's on the line now. That's Dianne O'Connor of the Minnesota Nurses Association. Harold Decker, CEO of Red Cross, will speak at the conference today. And tomorrow Lucy Farrell, a nurse who volunteered at ground zero for three weeks, will talk about here experiences.
January 18, 2002 -
January 23, 2002 - A report entitled All Kids Count, shows that African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Latino youth in Minnesota are much more likely than white children to experience violence, live without health care insurance, and live in poverty. The report was compiled by the Children's Defense Fund and Minnesota Kids Count, a research organization that releases reports on the welfare of the state's youth.
February 5, 2002 - A report released today traces the welfare of newborns over the past ten years. The report, which is based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, considers factors that help kids get off to a healthy start... factors like prenatal care and low teen birth rates. It was produced by two research organizations-- Kids Count, and Child Trends. The results show Minnesota newborns get off to a good start, while the numbers are less impressive in Minneapolis. Diane Benjamin heads up the Kids Count project for the Children's Defense Fund in Minnesota, and she's on the line now.
February 13, 2002 -
February 13, 2002 - There's been a shortage of nurses across the country for years, and there's no sign the problem will end. In fact, the number of students entering nursing programs has been shrinking. Many hospitals have lists of nursing jobs that they can't fill, but small town hospitals have particular problems with the nurse shortage. In response, they're trying to make it easier for people who already live in their towns to become nurses. Chris Julin has this Mainstreet Radio report.
February 13, 2002 - Allina Hospitals and Clinics lost more than $70 million dollars last year. 2001 was a time of investigations and major changes for the health care provider. Allina split with its health insurance partner "Medica" in response to a Minnesota Attorney General's office probe into corporate expenses. There were also millions of dollars in costs associated with alledged Medicare fraud. Allina says much of last year's losses amount to one time charges which have now been written off its books. The non profit's new CEO is projecting much better performance this year. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark reports...