Enigma Variations

The next public health crisis may not have anything to do with a contagious disease, natural disaster or environmental threat. It may have everything to do with the behaviors of sports fans, casino patrons, video-game players and others who increasingly have gambling opportunities at their fingertips.

For many older adults in rural Minnesota, taking medication correctly is harder than it should be. About three in four adults 65 and older take five or more medications, and roughly half do not take them as prescribed. In small towns, the challenge is compounded by distance. Nearly 80% of rural America is designated medically underserved, and 46% of U.S. counties have at least one pharmacy desert, affecting about 15.8 million people.

For the past 38 years, Minnesota Physician’s Health Care Architecture Honor Roll has recognized outstanding achievement in new facilities design. Medicaid funding cuts have put unprecedented financial strain on hospitals and clinics, ignoring how this affects many fundamental elements of delivering health care that requires a physical structure. Population growth and larger physical spaces to accommodate modern and constantly evolving technology, coupled with the natural process of buildings aging and becoming obsolete, requires ongoing new construction and remodeling. These considerations can be seen in many of the projects featured this year. Our thanks to all those who participated in the nomination and production process of presenting this year’s Honor Roll.