cover story one
Shell Game Economics
Corporate medicine wins, you lose
By David Feinwachs, MA, MHA, JD, PhD
Since 1984, most Minnesotans enrolled in Medicaid, a program funded by all taxpayers, have not really been able to choose their own doctor. For the past two years, Health Policy Advocates (HPA), a volunteer citizens’ group, has championed bills in the Minnesota legislature that would give all Medicaid enrollees the right to opt out of managed care. These bills, SF404 and HF816, could give all Medicaid recipients the freedom to choose. There are many reasons this is good for patients including fewer care delays or denials and enhanced cultural compatibilities with caregivers.
cover story two
The Mental Health Collaboration Hub: Getting to Yes!
By Todd Archbold, LSW, MBA
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young girl, and that what she was doing was not dancing at all. The young girl was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
Medical Research
The Vanquish Water Ablation System: A novel prostate cancer treatment
By Christopher Dixon, MD
Prostate cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cancer among American men, trailing only skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates 288,300 new cases and 34,700 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in 2023. Although, one in eight men will confront a prostate cancer diagnosis during his lifetime, most of those diagnosed will not die from it. Today, over 3.1 million men in the U.S. are living with prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age, with six in 10 cases found in men over 65 and it is more prevalent in African American men and Caribbean men of African ancestry
Interview
Linking Public Health to Health Care
Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Self Evident Truths: Welcoming foreign born medical professionals
By Brad Fern
Last year, almost 27% of U.S. physicians were foreign born according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (That compares with 18% foreign born of all employed people in the nation.) Approximately 26% of registered nurses and 40% of home health aides are immigrant workers. Immigrants play an essential role in the U.S. health care system and will be an important part of its future.
