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.
July 26, 1999 - To close out the millennium, Minnesota Public Radio's All Things Considered presents a look back at Minnesota life in 1900 via a 12-part series, entitled “A Minnesota Century.” This segment is a profile of the Mayo brothers.
September 1, 1999 - American RadioWorks presents the documentary “The Fertility Race,” a summary of compiled reports on series about the social implications of infertility and the advanced reproductive techniques designed to correct the condition.
September 27, 1999 - Ron Offutt, aka Sultan of Spuds & the Lord of the Fries, grows more potatoes than anyone else in the world, and the potatoes are perfect for French fries. But his success has a price. Growing the perfect French fry has an environmental downside, as people in small towns near Offutt's potato farms have learned to their dismay.
September 28, 1999 - Ron Offutt, aka Sultan of Spuds & the Lord of the Fries, grows more potatoes than anyone else in the world. The potatoes are perfect for French fries for fast food chains like McDonald's and frozen French fry processors like JR Simplot and Ore Ida. But Offutt’s success has a downside. Many people who live near Offutt's potato farms worry about the pesticides sprayed on his fields.....but they soon find they're up against a system much bigger than they are.
November 8, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud for a pre-Veterans Day show. In this first hour of program, host Rachel Reabe and guests focus on the health care system and the increasing demands on the system as our vets grow older.
November 8, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud for a pre-Veterans Day show. In this second hour of program, host Rachel Reabe and guests discuss veterans organizations, such as American Legion or VFW posts. The group talk about the impact of these organizations on the community, and their evolution over time.
December 8, 1999 - The Urban Institute released its three year study on homelessness for the housing department today. We discuss homelessness in Minnesota with Sue Westlov-Phillips of Elim Transitional Housing and legislative chair of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless; and with Herb Frye, program director for the Alliance of the Streets.
December 21, 1999 - MPR’s Brent Wolfe reports on health experts at the Mayo Clinic embarking on an effort to cutting the fat in Olmsted County. They want to prove they can change the lifestyle of an entire community and decrease the rate of heart disease in the county.
January 4, 2000 - Arthur Caplan, Bioethicist and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania (and former director of a similar center at the U of M), talks about key ethical issues in the new millennium. Topics include breakthroughs in genetics, biology and stem cell research. Caplan also answers listener questions.
January 4, 2000 - An attorney for a former employee at the Koch refinery in Rosemount portrayed him as a good worker who was fired because he reported serious environmental violations by the company. Charles Chadwell is suing Koch Petroleum Group under a state law that protects whistleblowers from retailiation.The case went before a 10 person civil jury yesterday in Minneapolis. An attorney for Koch told the jury Chadwell was fired for "legitimate and lawful reasons." Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports. Charles Chadwell is a former waste water treatment operator at the Koch refinery in Rosemount. He was fired in 1997, eight months after he reported environmental violations to the Minnesota