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.
June 9, 1998 - St. Paul Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman edged out State Attorney General Skip Humphrey in a straw poll of Minnesota AFL-CIO members. But the results may indicate big labor won't rally around a single candidate until after the September primary. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.
June 12, 1998 - Doug Cogan, director of IRRC's Tobacco Information Service; Joan Growe, Minnesota Secretary of State; and Judi Dutcher, Minnesota State Auditor, discuss tobacco stocks and the State of Minnesota’s decision to end investing pension money in companies that are related to tobacco. The debate over investing based on reasons beyond financial performance is highlighted. Guests also answer listener questions.
July 2, 1998 - Bob Walker, the President of Handgun Control, Inc and the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, discusses gun laws debate both nationally and in Minnesota. Topics include licensing, gun use by children, and gun legislation. Walker also answers listener questions.
August 17, 1998 - Michael Ciresi, lead attorney in the Minnesota tobacco trial, speaking at the annual meeting of the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association in Alexandria. In a keynote address, Ciresi speaks about his experiences.
August 18, 1998 - Michael Scandrett, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans and former Director of the MN Health Care Commission, and Lee Greenfield, state representative and Chairman of the House Health and Human Services Finance Division, discuss MinnesotaCare, HMO's, Medicare and Medicaid, prescription costs, and employer health benefits. Scandrett and Greenfield also answer listener question.
August 18, 1998 - Dr. Robert Butler, founding Director of the National Institute on Aging, gerontologist and medical ethicist, speaking at the AARP National convention in Minneapolis. Butler’s speech was titled "End of Life Decision Making."
August 21, 1998 - An MPR Special presenting interviews with all seven major party gubernatorial candidates on health care, followed by listener reaction to the candidates. Program begins with brief reports on the various candidates.
August 27, 1998 - Along with cancelling hundreds of flights, as of eleven last (WED) night, Northwest Airlines also stopped taking any additional cargo shipments, putting many Minnesota businesses in a bind but it seems those businesses are making do. Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe reports.
August 31, 1998 - Throughout this election season, Minnesota Public Radio is examining some of the campaign advertising for the state's gubernatorial candidates. A little more than two weeks before the September primary, DFL'er Mark Dayton has greatly outspent his opponents on TV spots - some of the candidates haven't even run ads yet. Although the candidates are largely avoiding personal attacks, analysts say the political parties are running the nastier ads. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
August 31, 1998 - Doctors at the Mayo Clinic are warning that a popular dietary supplement, 5 Hydroxy Tryptophan or 5-HTP, may contain a contaminant suspected in a rare blood disease. And late today, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed the Mayo findings. The study, published in the September issue of "Nature Medicine," reports that Mayo doctors have found the same contaminant in off-the-shelf brands of 5-HTP that they found in a batch of the L-Tryptophan dietary supplement that killed 30 people in 1989. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports from Rochester.