Health in the News
REGIONAL- “We love what we do and the people we serve and want to continue to create a solid foundation for Scenic Rivers Health Services to build off for generations to come,” said Kara Jean Baker, an administrative assistant at Scenic Rivers. Baker, who works out of the clinics in Cook and Bigfork, has spearheaded a campaign with the aim to grow the clinic’s financial base, allowing them to hire more staff and even expand into other underserved communities. The aim is to raise as much as $100,000.
MNACHC CEO REPORT - A Commonwealth Fund report finds that health centers “are a key health care access point for people returning to their communities following incarceration.”
The report notes that health centers' unique features make them potentially strong partners in implementing Medcaid’s new reentry policies.
Announced last year, the new Medicaid Reentry Section 1115 Demonstration Opportunity would allow state Medicaid programs to cover services that address various health concerns, including substance use disorders and other chronic health conditions. While these policy changes represent progress, the report states that “fully realizing the aims of the new Medicaid policies will require a care delivery system capable of operationalizing these reforms.”
MNACHC CEO REPORT - The CDC published data citing that the number of babies born with syphilis in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate. There were more than 3,700 babies born with syphilis in 2022, over 10 times the number reported in 2012.
Syphilis during pregnancy can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, infant death, and maternal and infant morbidity, which are preventable through appropriate screening and treatment.
No demographic has been hit harder than Native Americans. The CDC data released in January shows that the rate of congenital syphilis among American Indians and Alaska Natives was triple the rate for African Americans and nearly 12 times the rate for white babies in 2022.
MNACHC CEO Report - A recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) analysis shows that half of children under age 19 received a Medicaid or CHIP-funded well-child visit in 2020. While the pandemic had a substantial impact on health and healthcare service utilization, research has shown that many Medicaid-covered children were not receiving recommended screenings and services even before the pandemic.
The analysis also cited that a larger share of enrollees under age 3 received a well-child visit paid for by Medicaid or CHIP in the year compared with enrollees in older age groups. Well-child visit utilization was highest among enrollees under 1 year of age. Well-child visit rates are lower for Medicaid/CHIP children in rural areas, but rates in urban areas declined more during the pandemic.
On Apr. 1, the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic will add a new behavioral health consultant to the team. She said mental health services were lost in Cook County during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the need for them has been increasing, creating a gap. Surbaugh said the clinic hopes hiring a new behavioral health consultant will help close that gap.
MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Last week, the Fairmont school board approved a partnership between the school district and Open Door Health Center in Mankato. The partnership will open a clinic within the school district, solely for the care of students.
Bipartisan legislation proposed by congresswoman Angie Criaig will help our MN Community Health Centers like Open Door Health Center in Southern Minnesota grow their own workforces.
“Rhonda Eastlund, CEO of Open Door Health Center in Mankato, sees the proposal as a critical solution to workforce challenges in safety-net clinics. “Having that path to grow would be vital for our career pathways,” she said. Open Door and other federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, in Minnesota began an apprenticeship program in recent years in which people receive on-the-job training to become medical or dental assistants. The idea was to offer an alternative path into the field than going through a community college. “It’s harder and harder to find people who are able to go to community college for two years to become an allied health professional because they can’t all do college full time and not work,” Eastlund said.”
As Medicaid Shrinks, Clinics for the Poor Are Trying to Survive
The end of a pandemic-era policy that barred states from pushing people off Medicaid is threatening the financial stability of the U.S. safety net.
More than half of health care workers say racial discrimination against patients is a major problem or crisis, while nearly half report seeing it happen in their own workplaces, according to a large national survey. It's well-documented how racism in health care settings can harm patients' health. But witnessing it can also hurt health care workers' wellbeing, potentially making it more difficult to hire and retain staff as serious provider shortages loom, according to the Commonwealth Fund and the African American Research Collaborative, who conducted the survey.
From preconception counseling to birth education, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic offers a wide variety of prenatal care and services for expecting mothers and families.
MN Health Centers serve nearly 200,000 Minnesotans. We need long-term, stable funding to continue caring for our communities! #ValueCHCs
At the 2023 Minnesota State of Reform Health Policy Conference, several leaders met to discuss solutions to racial and Tribal health disparities. Erica Lester, workforce development manager for the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, said her association has 17 health centers across the state. “We have some amazing healthcare in Minnesota, but also some of the worst disparities in the nation,” Lester said
Jonathan Watson, CEO of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC) writes a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of the Star Tribune responding to the recent closure of CVS pharmacies in some Minneapolis Target stores.
MNACHC’s Director of Communications and Partnerships has been appointed to the State Equitable Health Care Task Force. “The Equitable Health Care Task Force was established by the Minnesota Legislature during its 2023 session. The task force’s charge is to examine inequities in how people experience health care based on race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and disability. It will identify strategies for ensuring that all Minnesotans can receive care and coverage that is respectful and ensures optimal health outcomes.”
“Public health officials and dental experts say many immigrants and communities of color distrust tap water because the water in their native countries was unsafe, or because old pipes in their homes affect color and flavor.
The Community-University Health Care Center’s dental clinic is located in south Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood, and was founded with the goal of providing healthcare to low income community members. The clinic serves many recent immigrants to Minnesota. As part of their exam questions, dental providers at the clinic make it a point to ask families, “Do you drink city water, or bottled water?” I t’s a question most families have been fairly receptive to, said dental manager Joanne Flores.”
A south Minneapolis health clinic was awarded $2.6 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Southside Community Health Services is a primary care clinic in south Minneapolis. It aims to provide care to an underserved community. Most of its patients have public health care or are uninsured.
The funding will go toward a planned move to a new location at 1000 East Lake St.
Listen to MN Health Centers talk about their experiences providing health care during the height of the pandemic: “Healthcare workers have been slammed by the pandemic. They also have incredible stories to share. In our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Healthcare Worker Diary segments, listeners get first-hand accounts of what it was like during the height of the pandemic & what they are seeing & treating now.”
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC), an organization that supports the state’s 17 community health centers (CHCs) and its patients in improving and maintaining the health and wellness of local communities, will join in the country’s celebration of National Rural Health Day on Thursday, November 16th.