Capsules

Trump Attacks Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood North Central States recently received a communication that the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs would temporarily withhold its Minnesota Title X funds for alleged violations related to executive orders on DEI and immigration. Title X is the nation’s only federal program dedicated to providing affordable birth control and other reproductive health care to people no matter the person’s income or insurance status. 

“This is yet another example of manufactured and cruel chaos meant to overwhelm and exhaust people. Planned Parenthood is sometimes the only provider patients can turn to for access to birth control, cancer screenings, and wellness exams—our patients need us now more than ever,” said Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States. “Attacks on Title X will have devastating consequences on our most vulnerable patients and communities—especially patients who are LGBTQ+, communities of color, and rural communities.”  

In 2024, millions in Title X funds empowered over 38,000 Minnesota patients to access life-saving and life-changing health care at Planned Parenthood North Central States. These funds cover basic preventive reproductive health care, such as birth control, cancer screenings, wellness exams and STI testing and treatment. Planned Parenthood North Central States was one of many providers who received similar notifications of withheld funds. “Our patients remain our top priority. No matter what comes next, Planned Parenthood is committed to keeping the cost of care as low as possible,” said Richardson. “Not only is access to basic sexual and reproductive health care critical to people’s wellbeing, but it is also incredibly popular. While the administration continues to pursue an unpopular agenda, support for Planned Parenthood is overwhelmingly high. Americans know that our care, like all health care, should not be a privilege for those with money and means.”  

Nearly 8 in 10 (77%) Americans oppose the Trump administration’s taking away funds from Planned Parenthood health centers used for birth control for people with low incomes. This includes 63% of Trump supporters. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) — including more than half of Trump supporters (55%) — oppose Congress’s taking away funds from Planned Parenthood health centers that provide birth control, wellness exams and cancer screenings.  

Fairview Releases Positive Financial Operating Report

Fairview Health Services recently released 2024 financial data, detailing a year of continued growth, momentum and transformation. In 2024, Fairview generated $8.0 billion in total operating revenue, a 9.9% increase over 2023, and reported $41.6 million in operating income, including nonrecurring expenses. “Our 2024 results reflect a transformation that has been years in the making,” said James Hereford, president and CEO of Fairview Health Services. “Thanks to the collective strength of more than 30,000 people across the system, who have embraced innovation and shown extraordinary commitment to delivering exceptional care, Fairview has emerged from a period of historic challenge as one of the best-performing health systems in our region.”

Highlights from the report include:

• Nine consecutive quarters of net operating income improvement
• $240 million improvement in net operating results vs. 2023
• Pharmacy services revenue up 17.8%
• Hospital revenue up 7.8%

Fairview’s financial turnaround reflects years of work to optimize operations, redesign care delivery and invest in areas of competitive strength —particularly specialty care, pharmacy and workforce sustainability. Areas of improvement included:

• Hospital employment costs reduced by $59 million as Fairview reduced reliance on high-cost agency staff
• Fairview’s Transformation Office delivered $342 million in targeted improvements 
• Fairview Pharmacy Solutions launched in late 2024, establishing a national platform to support other health systems.

Positive financial momentum enables Fairview to continue investing in community health programs, patient access initiatives and partnerships that improve the well-being of individuals and families statewide. Examples include hosting more than 2,300 free mobile vaccination events in 2024 and distributing over 100,000 pounds of culturally relevant food each week through its “Fair Table” Food is Medicine programs. 

Looking ahead, Fairview is accelerating efforts to create a future where care is more predictive, more equitable and more satisfying for both patients and care teams.  

“Fairview didn’t just cut costs — we invested wisely, scaled our strengths, and delivered better care in the process,” Hereford added. “This is a strategic turnaround, not a temporary one. And it gives us the momentum to keep reimagining how health care should be: smarter, more connected, and more human.” 

MDH Announces Trump-related Cuts

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently sent layoff and separation notices to 170 employees whose positions were funded by terminated federal grants. Additionally, “at risk” notices will be going to MDH staff at risk for layoffs due to seniority rules around layoffs. Nearly 20 employees recently slated to start with the department have had their offers rescinded. These layoffs and separations are a direct consequence of the recent unprecedented and unexpected action by the federal government to cut more than $220 million in previously approved federal funding. These layoffs and separations will affect services across the agency that Minnesotans rely on, including those that support the state’s response to measles and H5N1, wastewater surveillance, the state’s public health laboratory and community clinics and vaccination efforts. “We are working now to figure out how much of this critical public health work we can save and continue,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “The sudden and unexpected action from the federal government left us with no choice but to proceed with layoffs immediately. It is devastating to be forced to reduce critical services and give notices to so many dedicated public health professionals because the federal government decided to renege on its commitment to our state. They left us in the lurch, with no advance notice, no close-out period, halting work that would have helped us address chronic gaps in the system and be better prepared for future threats.” As with almost every ill-considered Trump agenda dictate there have been walk backs and efforts to block the cuts. DHS is working to minimize the damage and there are many pending concerns.

The impact of these cuts to our public health system also include:



• Significantly reduced support for nursing homes and staff training on disease prevention, as well as support for county jails.  
• Slower response times to infectious disease outbreaks.  
•  Immediate suspension of partner-led vaccine clinics and emergency preparedness activities.  
• Reduced laboratory support for hospitals and health care systems that could delay lab results and patient care.  
• An inability to upgrade the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection, the state’s immunization information system. 
• Suspension of the INSPIRE Program, a program to get students interested in public health.  
• Reduced funding for Tribal Public Health. 

Mayo Rebrands DEI Initiatives

The Mayo Clinic has long held the stated vision to create a global culture of empowered belonging. This requires building an environment of psychological safety, creating a place where people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences can access the best health care and where all staff can bring their authentic best selves. Mayo states that equity is embodied in every aspect of the clinic, from the individuals who constitute it to the organization as a whole. Their goal is to embrace all people who come through their doors, whatever their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, military service, faith or culture. They state that success is possible only when diverse experiences, perspectives, thoughts and voices are included in everything they do. Mayo Clinic’s work with equity, inclusion and diversity is delivered through the internal community of passionate people, committees and initiatives — recognizing that the equity, inclusion and diversity work is neither centralized nor hierarchical. To this end they have been widely recognized for their leadership in this important field. Recently Mayo pledged $100 million over a 10-year period to eliminate racism, advance equity and inclusion and improve health equity. That said, this seemingly forward thinking, common sense perspective on life and business now falls under what the federal government has identified as dangerous to the nation. Federal funding has been cut to organizations that espouse diversity initiatives, which are now considered part of an anti-American “woke agenda.” Clearly not citing this as a rationale, Mayo Clinic is changing the name of its Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. It will now be called the Office of Belonging, according to internal communication to staff. People with EID titles will now have “Belonging” titles, according to a notice sent recently. Internal and external websites related to the EID office will also be updated. “Since 2020, Mayo Clinic has intentionally focused on belonging as a cornerstone of staff wellbeing. In keeping with this focus and recent national events, we’re embracing an opportunity to accelerate Mayo Clinic’s belonging journey to reflect our culture of collaboration and respect and support positive patient experiences,” said a statement from Mayo Clinic. Many other institutions have similar concerns, and culture wars over language have been hot topics of academic debate. Another trending response to rebranding needs is the Office of Pluralism. 

UCare Reports Operating Loss

UCare recently released 2024 financial data reporting a $504 million operating loss on almost $6.3 billion of income. This translated to a negative 8.1% operating margin. Several factors contributed to this downturn and health insurance companies nationwide are facing similar concerns, especially those with extensive Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid enrollment. Health care utilization increased dramatically post-pandemic with expensive procedures having been delayed, and specialty pharmaceutical costs have increased substantially. Costs for every sector of medical services have also increased, creating challenging industry conditions. Insurers have always faced complex issues in maintaining affordable premiums, negotiating provider reimbursement rates while providing access to care to their members. Government payments continue to rise at a much lower rate than the costs of care. UCare CEO Hilary Marden-Resnik addressed the financial situation in a recent statement, saying, “Last year’s financial results reflect continued challenges of rising medical and specialty medication costs, and higher use of services outpacing government payments.” She stated further that UCare is “implementing a multi-year strategic plan to ensure long-term stability for our members, providers and partners.” As the plan develops, areas to consider will include improved operational efficiencies, various contract renegotiations and potential premium adjustments. The organization is actively working to avoid layoffs. UCare maintains a substantial market presence in Minnesota. At the end of 2024, the company served approximately 587,000 members across its various health plans. Its Medicare Advantage enrollment is at 182, 000 members as of March.

Since its foundation in 1984 by the department of Family Practice at the University of Minnesota Medical School, UCare has always been at the forefront of innovation in its industry. It is a consistent leader in creating a corporate culture that is recognized for putting patients and employees first. They have faced similar challenges over the years around similar annual losses, state contracting and related issues, and have always found creative and positive solutions. Moving forward, the organization will address these new challenges by maintaining focus on its mission to provide a high level of service to its enrollees and providers.

HealthPartners Opens New Woodbury Specialty Center

HealthPartners recently opened a new specialty center in Woodbury. Construction began in 2023. The new center becomes the seventh HealthPartners care location in the east metro suburb. Specialty medical services include allergy and asthma, audiology, cancer care, cardiology, endoscopy, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology, oncology, rheumatology, urogynecology and urology. The center also offers surgery, imaging, lab and infusion services. “We’ve been a care partner in Woodbury for more than 25 years,” said Megan Remark, chief operating officer of HealthPartners care group. “As the community has grown, we’ve grown with it, adding services based on our patients’ evolving health care needs.” The $50.5 million, 55,000-square-foot multi-level facility is located located off Interstate 94 and Radio Drive, on City Place Blvd. Kraus-Anderson (KA) provided construction management and has a long history with HealthPartners. HealthPartners offers a full range of other services at nearby locations in Woodbury, including primary care, dental and eye care, plastic surgery, dermatology and treatment for eating disorders. TRIA, the organization’s orthopedic and sports medicine practice, also has a location in Woodbury. Remark added, “Across our organization, we’ve seen how simple and convenient care alleviates stress and improves well-being. Many of our patients will experience these benefits now that they have easier access to specialty care services.”