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 27, 1996 - Midday looks at car safety devices and good winter driving techniques. Studio guests are Sergeant Randy Slinger of the Minnesota State Patrol; and Nancy Frank Skala, safety program coordinator for the Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety. Slinger and Skala discuss air bags, seatbelts, speeding, and ice. They also answer listeners questions.
December 2, 1996 - Hour 2 of Midmorning featuring Voices of Minnesota: first, a conversation with Yusef Mgeni, president of the Urban Coalition. The Coalition is an advocacy group for poor people in Minnesota that's based in the Twin Cities.
December 2, 1996 - Healthcare's newest trend is decidedly low tech and low cost. In the past five years, over 300 Minnesotans have been trained as parish nurses...health care professionals working within the church to promote physical and spiritual wellness. Mainstreet Radio’s Rachel Reabe visits Crosslake Lutheran Church in northern Minnesota and looks into the nurse movement.
December 16, 1996 - Mainstreet Radio’s Catherine Winter reports from a Grand Rapids food bank. While some charities around Minnesota are doing well during the holiday season, many food shelves in rural Minnesota and North Dakota are struggling to feed all the hungry people asking for help.
December 30, 1996 - A year-in-review Midday program about key issues in the field of biomedical ethics. Guest Arthur Caplan, former University of Minnesota bioethicist and now director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses assisted suicide and answers listener questions.
December 31, 1996 - John Kingrey, senior vice president of Minnesota Hospital and Health Care Partnership, comments on the finalization of Fairview/University of Minnesota merger.
January 9, 1997 - for fri am State Human Services Commissioner David Doth (dawth) has outlined the Department's plans for Welfare Reform legislation this session. Doth says a big emphasis will be placed on putting welfare recipients to WORK: Doth says the Governor is planning to outline his budget priorities for programs that will make it EASIER for people to move off of welfare and into jobs...programs that will likely get more funding include child care, health care and job training. Sun 28-MAY 21:10:58 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
January 10, 1997 - The state's non-profit sector is hoping to gain the ear of state lawmakers this session as they work through welfare reform. As Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports, as services cutbacks occur and restrictions tighten...non-profits are bracing for an even BIGGER role in maintaining the social welfare of the state's people. As the state legislature shapes major policy for the next two years in this budget session, leaders of various non-profit organizations want to be at the table. Various complex issues such as welfare reform affect non-profits since THEY are often on the front line.... providing services as diverse as health CARE, education, transportation and welfare. In the case of WELFARE reform...many non-profits expect to be fulfilling f
January 13, 1997 - Governor Carlson's allies today floated the idea of increasing the state's cigarette tax to pay for a new Twins Stadium. Senate Republican leader Dean Johnson says the Governor is interested in adding ten cents to the price of a pack of cigarettes... But as Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports, the idea isn't going over very well at the Capitol: The cigarette tax for the Twins is the very definition of a political trial balloon. Nobody has actually to endorsed the idea, but the Governor's staff says Carlson does find the idea "intriguing," Senate Republican leader Dean Johnson was the one who brought the subject up. He says the Legislature should consider the idea -- although he stopped short of actually proposing it.
January 13, 1997 - A Voices of Minnesota interview with Tom Webber, Director of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and South Dakota. Webber discusses his work on women's reproductive health issues. Also, a recorded interview with Margaret Atwood, author of "Alias Grace".