Minnesota plays a unique role in the arena of health, with impactful political/cultural moments, and important contributions from institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Hazelden, UCare, among others. Over the decades, MPR News and American RadioWorks have produced a breadth of reports and programming specifically dedicated to the subject of health. This collection includes interviews, debates, speeches, and documentaries that provide greater detail to the many facets of healthcare, from both a local and national perspective.
November 28, 1973 - Speaker from Metropolitan council outlining what constitutes good health care at the city level, as well as stating that good health is a right, not a privilege.
December 7, 1973 - A shigellosis outbreak has appeared in every Minnesota county. Dr. Barry Levy, epidemiologist describes symptoms, vulnerable populations,treatments and prevention.
January 4, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on efforts by some residents in the city of Monticello to get community to not smoke. It has been named the ‘D-Day’ campaign.
January 17, 1974 - Dr. Paul Ellwood chairman of the HMO study group, InterStudy, says HMOs don't need to be subsidized by government. He said this in response to a comment made by AMA President Russell Roth, who said HMOs shouldn't receive federal funding. Ellwood says the HMO model is not accepted yet by the medical community because it's new and unproven. Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin is an example of how an HMO can serve a rural area.
January 18, 1974 - Married couple Jackie and Jeff Harrigan, discuss their book "Loving Free." Book topic is on developing and maintaining a healthy contemporary marriage.
January 20, 1974 - Dr. Paul Ellwood, the "father" of the Minnesota Health Maintenance Organization movement, talks about the differences between traditional health insurance and HMOs. He discusses how to choose the best HMO for your needs, how to file a grievance, what to do if the HMO goes under, and other helpful information.
February 4, 1974 - Unknown speaker says the problem of national health insurance can be split into two parts. One part is financing, the other is the delivery system. National health insurance only addresses the first problem: how to get dollars to people who need to buy care. The second problem concerns doctors and hospitals and their performance. The speaker talks about lessons to be learned from Medicare, which was instituted five years ago. Health services shifted from the middle class to the old and the poor, and prices for services escalated much more than anyone expected.
February 12, 1974 - Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe speaking at a symposium held at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. Wolfe’s topic was on the conflict of interest between industries and professionals in the medical services fields, the availability of information from the medical industry and medical services fields, and the exclusion of consumers from information in the medical delivery field (drug industry especially).
June 8, 1974 - Sub-committee questionaire sent to hospitals is getting no response and state that they are not in a position to give out information on the costs of healthcare.
August 24, 1974 - A roundtable discussion sponsored by DFL Feminist Caucus on prostitution and local ordinances.