February 14, 2002 - A key House Committee approved a measure today (thursday) that would forbid the state from issuing family planning grants to groups that are connected in any way to abortion services. Supporters of the measure say abortion providers can continue to do business but wouldn't be allowed to receive any state money. Opponents say the provision would impact low income women and say they'll challenge the bill's constitutionality if it becomes law. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
February 15, 2002 - Complaints against nursing homes in Minnesota increased 35 percent last year. The = office of the Ombudsman for Older Minnesotans says the agency settled 24-hundred complaints in 2001. The Ombudsman program was started under federal law in 1978 to be an advocate for nursing-home residents. Ombudsman Sharon Zoesch says most complaints involve residents' rights and quality of care:
February 18, 2002 - Government researchers say tests using diluted smallpox vaccine were "very successful." In a study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 650 volunteers were given varying doses of the 1970's era vaccine. Researchers say participants displayed an imune response even though some of the doses had been diluted as much as 10-fold. Currently there are only 15 million doses of smallpox vaccine on hand in the U.S., and it could take up to a year to get the 288 million new doses the government has ordered from a British company. Michael Osterholm is the Director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. He's also an advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Osterholm says even though the U.S. vaccine stockpile is at least 30 years old, it's very potent.
February 25, 2002 - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone has revealed he has a mild form of Multiple Sclerosis. He says the persistent pain in his lower right leg that he and his doctors have attributed to sports injuries was diagnosed a month ago as "primary progressive multiple sclerosis." Despite the illness, Wellstone says he will continue with his re-election campaign for a third term in the U.S. Senate.
February 25, 2002 - Joining us now is Joel Ulland (YOU land), the public Public Coordinator of the Minnesota chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
March 5, 2002 -
March 6, 2002 - Medica health plan is reportedly considering capping premiums for almost all of its health plan members. The StarTribune reports the company had a good financial year and wants to pass the good fortune on to consumers. A Medica spokesperson declined to discuss what options the company is considering. Medica and Attorney General Mike Hatch will hold a press conference tomorrow to discuss the company's finances. Last year, Medica split from Allina Hospitals and Clinics, after Hatch began investigating lavish company expenses. Medica officials told the paper they've instituted aggressive cost cuts. The company could be reaching the point where it has more in reserves than the non-profit is allowed under state law. Healthcare consultant Allan Baumgarten says he's not surprised Medica is so profitable:
March 7, 2002 - State Health officials confirmed today that a 4-year-old boy died from a rare strain of meningococcemia, the same bacterial infection that causes meningitis. Edward Fink died yesterday morning, about two and a half hours after he was taken to the emergency room at Long Prairie Memorial Hospital. Health officials haven't determined how he was infected. But they have distributed antibiotics to about 35 people, including the hospital personnel who treated the boy and kids at his day care. Dr. Paul Van Gorp is the first doctor who saw Edward Fink when he arrived at the hospital. He says he administered antibiotics immediately.
March 12, 2002 - In the late 1800s, the railroad brought new residents to young cities and towns. Trains hauled carloads of crops to previously inaccessible markets. Soon industry followed lining the tracks like magnets. Now a new ambitious expansion plan from the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern railroad has many communities along the line contemplating their roots. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally continues our series "Tracking the Plains" with this report.
March 13, 2002 - A comprehensive study released today by the Mayo Clinic found Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, affects 7 and a half percent of school age children. Prior research has found widely varying percentages of students with ADHD, but Mayo researchers are confident they have an accurate number given the scope of the project. The research also found that ritalin and other stimulants used to treat ADHD were rarely prescribed to children without the disorder. Minnesota Public Radio's Laurel Druley has this report.