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.
April 24, 1996 - Midday broadcasts a speech by Dr. Susan Love, author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book and director of the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center, delivered in the Twin Cities at a conference on breast cancer sponsored by the University of Minnesota Center for Biomedical Ethics.
May 3, 1996 - MPR’s Dan Gunderson reports that in rural areas of Minnesota, a profound silence about AIDS and HIV is present. As a result, people with AIDS find little support…and sometimes encounter outright rejection. That stigma is of great concern to family members, church, and health officials.
May 22, 1996 - Dr. Michael Maddaus, a participant in local Father to Father program, describes it’s importance. Vice President Al Gore visits the Twin Cities to support the mentoring program.
May 28, 1996 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger reports of an emerging safety issue in rural Minnesota…a lack of firefighters. Even as demands for fire protection rise, the number of volunteers is shrinking; in many communities there are barely enough firefighters to answer a call for help.
August 15, 1996 - Mainstreet Radio’s Catherine Winter reports on Camp Knutson, a camp near Brainerd created to help people learn to live with HIV or AIDS within their families. Organizers say they believe it's the first time a summer camp has been set up for whole families affected by HIV and AIDS.
August 21, 1996 - Midday examines The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As President Clinton prepares to sign it, guests Jim Koppell, member of the Children's Defense Fund and a vice president at the MN Hospital and Health Care Partnership; and former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger, discuss its impact on the public. Koppell and Durenberger also answer listener questions.
October 9, 1996 - All Thing’s Considered presents the MPR documentary “Janet's Children,” which profiles a parent fighting to keep custody of her children. It’s a story of parents, drug use, and permanency.
October 9, 1996 - All Thing’s Considered presents the MPR documentary “Janet's Children,” which profiles a parent fighting to keep custody of her children. It’s a story of parents, drug use, and permanency.
October 18, 1996 - MPR’s Lorna Benson profiles Pua Xiong, a first-year resident who works at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul. Xiong describes how her quest for a medical degree has forced her to confront a multitude of cultural barriers.
October 21, 1996 - Hour 2 of Midmorning featuring Voices of Minnesota with Joan Drury, author of the "Spinsters Ink Books." Also featured is Australian nonfiction author, Jill Ker Conway and Odd Jobs - 911 operator.