Capsules

Mayo Develops Smartwatch App to Predict Tantrums

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers from the Mayo Clinic discussed findings from their development of an AI assisted, smartwatch-based system to alert parents in advance if their children are about to experience a tantrum. This is important for children with emotional and behavioral disorders as it provides an opportunity to intervene before the tantrum intensifies. The tool allowed parents to respond within four seconds of detection and shortened severe tantrums by an average of 11 minutes – about half average duration. The randomized clinical trial lasted 16 weeks and reported on 50 children between ages 3 and 7 who were receiving parent-child interaction therapy at the Mayo. Half the children used the smartwatch system, half did not. Data showed participants wore the smartwatch through 75% of the total trial time period. Previous related studies showed similar technology could predict a child’s behavioral health state with an 81% rate of accuracy and provide 30-60 minute advance warning of an impending episode.

The smartwatch system detects physiological signals such as rising heart rate or movement and sleep changes and sends them to the parent’s smartphone. Real time data analysis cues parents to react and assist their children. According to CDC data, mental, behavioral and emotional health issues affect nearly 1 in 5 children in the U.S.

“This study shows that even small, well-timed interventions can change the trajectory of a child’s emotional dysregulation episode,” says Magdalena Romanowicz, MD, a Mayo Clinic child psychiatrist who co-led the study. “These moments give parents a chance to step in with supportive actions — moving closer, offering reassurance, labeling emotions and redirecting attention before a tantrum intensifies.” 

Conclusions point to how smartwatch technology can give parents actionable steps to help their families in real time. Immediate alerts were able to measurably improve response times, providing positive changes in children’s behavior. The technology demonstrated the feasibility of enhancing family engagement and helping to manage severe behavioral health symptoms at home. Considering that professional help is rarely immediately available, the smartwatch tool can help bridge a gap in pediatric mental health care.

UnitedHealthcare and Fairview Reach Contract Extension

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) recently announced a tentative agreement with M Health Fairview to keep more than 125,000 patients in network. The Minnesota-based health insurance provider says it reached a multi-year agreement “in principle” with Fairview and the two are working to finalize the terms of their new contract. As recently as mid-December the UHC website was instructing Fairview patients to find an alternative insurance carrier as they would no longer cover claims from Fairview. Part of the impasse centered on the UHC claim that Fairview demanded a more than 23% price increase for its commercial plans. The increase would have made it “significantly more expensive than any health system in the Twin Cities,” according to a UHC spokesperson and would cost consumers and employers $121 million more. Fairview countered, saying that the increase would be stretched over three years and argued increases to rates over the past several years have been inadequate with costs driven by inflation, workforce shortages and the pandemic.

“Our goal in these talks was simple: make sure patients can keep getting care they need and to remove extra steps that can slow things down,” read a statement on the M Health Fairview website. “Reaching this agreement allows us to move ahead with confidence and focus on what matters most — supporting your health.” If approved, here are the impacts on patients who use Fairview providers. 

• UnitedHealthcare plans — commercial and Medicare Advantage — remain in network.
• Patients can continue seeing Fairview providers in 2026.
• Appointments already scheduled for 2026 will proceed as planned.
• No insurance plan changes are needed to stay in network.
• Emergency care remains available to all patients, regardless of insurance. The new contract will run through 2028 and will ensure full, uninterrupted in-network access to M Health Fairview for all UHC members, including UHC’s Medicaid Plan in Wisconsin. Neither party released further contract details.
  

MDH Counters Trump Antivax Propaganda

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently announced it is aligning all of its immunization guidance with professional medical association recommendations rather than following those recently amended Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The move comes after federal officials overhauled the childhood immunization schedule to reduce the number of routinely recommended vaccines.  

“This change at the federal level does not reflect the best available science. Medical association immunization schedules are evidence-based, reflect current clinical practice and are developed through established professional review processes,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “Aligning our recommendations with professional medical associations helps provide clarity and stability for families and providers by using a proven set of recommendations that doctors, and other clinicians, already know and trust.”

The unilateral move by the federal government to change the childhood immunization schedule did not follow previous processes that include intensive scientific review by an advisory committee. In order to provide Minnesotans with clear, science-based information about immunization, MDH is updating its website and other immunization guidance to follow the immunization schedules put out by professional medical associations.  

Minnesota has previously shifted away from the federal CDC schedule for COVID-19 and hepatitis B vaccines. This action extends that approach across all vaccines. Aligning immunization recommendations with those of medical professional associations will help save lives, prevent infectious diseases, and ensure a simpler, more consistent approach for providers, parents and the public.  

“The Minnesota Medical Association is very concerned about how the CDC’s changes will add unnecessary confusion and uncertainty around vaccines,” said Minnesota Medical Association president Lisa Mattson, MD. “We urge Minnesota parents and families to talk directly with their physicians about the critical role that childhood vaccines play in preventing serious disease and death. By vaccinating your child, you are not only protecting your child’s health, but also the health of their classmates, friends and community.”

At this time, vaccines recommended by professional medical associations continue to be covered by private insurance and available through the Minnesota Vaccines for Children (MnVFC) program.

Avera Opens New Digestive Health Center

Avera Health got the new year off to an exciting start by opening a new 127,000-square-foot medical office building on its Louise Health Campus in Sioux Falls. The three-story facility, named Pavilion 2, is home to the Avera Digestive Health Center and the specialty of gastroenterology. Together with a six-story expansion for women’s and children’s services at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, the two facilities represent the largest building project in company history and encompass 350,000-square-feet of new patient care space.

In Pavilion 2, the ground floor is dedicated to gastrointestinal procedures. It includes eight general procedure rooms and two suites for specialized procedures, for example, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). The space allows for future growth. There are over 40 pre-/post-procedure rooms on ground floor, with capacity to expand. Patient registration for both procedures and clinic visits will take place on ground floor. This added space provides capacity to increase GI procedures by 100%.

The second floor will house the gastroenterology clinic with capacity for additional growth similar to the first floor. The lower level is attached to an underground tunnel between Avera Specialty Hospital and Pavilion 2. The lower level houses dedicated space for sterile processing.

“This is an exciting expansion on our Avera on Louise Health Campus. When we began developing this campus in 2017, our vision was to offer greater and easier access to convenient, high-end health services like orthopedics, gastroenterology and more. This campus has proven to be a destination for specialty health care services,” said Ron Place, MD, regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

Factors driving growth in demand for GI services include a growing population, an aging population, and recommendations to begin colonoscopy screenings at age 45 instead of age 50.

“People today are more in tune with their own health. Rather than just live with troubling symptoms, they seek out specialty care, and we are pleased to have growing capacity to serve these needs,” said Christopher Hurley, MD, a gastroenterologist in Sioux Falls.

Winona Health Earns Top Emergency Care Award 

Winona Health was recently recognized as a national leader in emergency care and has received a 2026 America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care Women’s Choice Award. This recognition places its emergency care department in the top 7% of 4,655 hospitals nationwide and is a symbol of excellence based on customer experience. The honor reflects a commitment to what matters most, providing timely, effective and compassionate care to every patient. For over 130 years, the best possible care at Winona Health has happened as it always has — when it is there for emergencies that touch families.

“This award speaks to what our team focuses on every single day,” said Andrew Teska, NRP, director of emergency services at Winona Health. “When patients come through our doors, they’re often having one of the worst days of their lives. We don’t get second chances in those moments. Being fully present, moving quickly, and caring deeply— that’s what matters, and that’s what our community deserves.”

The Women’s Choice Award is especially meaningful because it is based on patient satisfaction and publicly reported performance measures. Only hospitals that meet strict clinical criteria and earn high levels of patient recommendation are eligible, making this recognition a reflection of both quality care and community trust. The Winona Health emergency care department is staffed 24 hours a day by dedicated physicians, associate providers, registered nurses and support staff, with specialty physicians on call to respond as needed. Patients of all ages are cared for and no one is denied treatment.

“What makes this recognition so special is that it honors the people behind the care,” said Kara Bayer, associate vice president of hospital services. “Every caregiver, from our physicians and associate providers to our registered nurses and support staff, plays a role in ensuring our neighbors receive the care they need, when they need it most.”

By earning the Women’s Choice Award, Winona Health joins an elite group of health care organizations committed to empowering women and families to make informed health care choices while remaining deeply connected to the communities they serve. 

Improper Medicaid Payments in Minnesota Far Below National Average

New federal data released by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shows the overall rate of improper payment in Minnesota’s Medicaid program is far below national averages. In the review released recently, CMS found an error rate of slightly over 2.1%, compared to a national average of 6.1%. The data for the review were compiled before the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) began implementing new strategies to minimize the risk of fraud and harden its systems against bad actors. Reviewers at CMS checked billing statements and then compared them with medical records to ensure the billing was accurate. 

“No amount of error or fraud is acceptable. Even one dollar is too much,” said temporary DHS Commissioner Shireen Gandhi. “We’re committed to making Minnesota a national model for preventing fraud and catching errors. This review shows we have strong internal controls that we continue to improve, and we are not stopping there as we accelerate our efforts to fight fraud.”

The data came as federal authorities threaten to withhold $2 billion in annual funding related to program integrity. Since the fall of 2024, DHS has introduced new processes and reforms to detect and prevent fraud including: 

• Identifying 14 high-risk services and establishing a Medicaid program integrity webpage for the public 
• Auditing autism service providers, including on-site visits 
• Discontinuing the Housing Stabilization Services program  
• Establishing a moratorium on adding new service providers in 14 high-risk services 
• Implementing licensure for autism centers 
• Disenrolling inactive providers 
• Beginning enhanced pre-payment review before fee-for-service payments are made to providers in the 14 high-risk services 
• Developing plans to review and revalidate providers in the 14 high-risk services  

The new federal report is the first hard data in the past year to identify the scope of improper payments in Minnesota’s Medicaid program. CMS provides ongoing reviews to comply with a law passed by Congress in 2019. Minnesota officials say the review is just one more tool they will use to ensure the integrity of the programs the state uses to administer benefits.  

“The CMS review confirms DHS is doing better than the national average in complying with Medicaid payment requirements. And in our ongoing effort to reduce errors and strengthen program integrity, the state is bringing on independent consultants to double-check payments, audit processes and recommend changes going forward,” said Gandhi.