Recent content from Jeremy Olson
Burnsville EMTs will be among first in Minnesota to transfuse blood in the field
Ambulance rides from accident and trauma scenes delay when critically injured patients can receive blood at hospitals, so the Burnsville Fire Department is starting to administer transfusions itself.
Crowded Minnesota ERs overflow into waiting rooms amid flu surge
Strategies forced during the COVID-19 pandemic have helped hospitals respond to the latest space crunch caused by influenza and other viral illnesses.
Deer River hospital strike nearing 40th day as workers hold out for better pay, staffing
The dispute centers on a "cross-facility" proposal that would have Deer River support staff work at other Essentia locations when there are staffing needs but for the same pay as at the Deer River hospital.
Long COVID indeed: Symptoms linger after illness for four in 10 Minnesotans
State surveyors struggled to get Minnesotans to talk about their post-COVID health, but found a high rate of symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog.
Want to cross-country ski? How and where to go in a snow-deficient Minnesota winter.
There are options for Nordic skiing on machine-made snow in the Twin Cities and beyond. Here's how to get started.
Mayo research sorts if rare BRCA mutations increase breast cancer risk
Discovery establishes whether thousands of BRCA2 genetic variants are significant, giving patients peace of mind instead of uncertainty.
How a unit of donated blood linked two strangers in a lifesaving surgery
Memorial Blood Centers offered a rare look at the donation process to highlight the need for blood, especially in the winter when donations dip.
Minnesota COVID cases are rising, but it's getting harder to obtain this drug to treat it
Financial support options for Paxlovid are changing, but remain in place this winter for Medicare recipients and for others who can't afford copays and cost-sharing.
Minnesota ERs stressed by waves of COVID, flu, RSV, norovirus patients
Weekly reports of COVID-19 and influenza show rising activity, but it's the combination of multiple infectious diseases at once that's causing problems.
Minnesota abortions grow as women from out of state continue seeking them
Expanded access to medication abortions in Minnesota also drove increases among state residents, but abortions have been increasing in the state overall for years.
Prices for medical care surged in Minnesota. Here's what the state is trying to do about it.
Health care spending rose by 15%, driven by higher prices. Officials say solutions are needed to prevent Minnesotans from being priced out or delaying care they need.
Wake-up call: Minnesota man emerges from coma playing air guitar to Coldplay in his hospital bed
The science remains murky on whether music and voices can rouse people from comas, but doctors see no harm in trying.
Songs that were playing when people woke from comas
It's not proven that certain songs can roust people in comas, but doctors say it may help, and it can't hurt.
As the workforce ages, dementia is a concern. Here are ways to help those affected.
Workers often hide their cognitive struggles for fear of their employers demoting or firing them. Bank of America collaborated with the Alzheimer's Association on a report that encourages "dementia-friendly workplaces," where conversations about changes in workers' cognition levels are nonthreatening.
Slain UnitedHealthcare executive is remembered amid the fury sparked by his death
Brian Thompson became a poster boy for the failings of U.S. health insurance, but coworkers said he was smart, charitable and concerned about people.
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Audit faults Minnesota for lax collection of $40M from nursing homes, medical providers
State says debts are from providers who have been sold or shut down, but audit says it could still try harder to collect.
Support workers set to strike at Essentia Health hospital in Deer River
Work stoppage, scheduled to begin Monday, is centered on pay and staffing demands.
Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO revives criticism of company's medical claim denials
Some mourn the shooting of chief executive but still have scorn for the insurance company he ran.
Allina faces fines over hospital nurses hurt by violence
State labor department proposes more than $83,000 in fines related to 16 incidents, but Allina has appealed them.
FAQ: Everything you need to know about Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare, the nation's largest insurer, is owned by parent company UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot Wednesday.
Defying the trend, Blue Earth hospital expands maternity services and attracts new patients
Success comes amid declines at neighboring Mayo hospital that is struggling with staffing and closing underused units.
Blood donors urgently needed in Minnesota to weather the holiday lull
Collection events and donor appointments decline over Thanksgiving, stretching blood supplies for Minnesota hospitals.
Nursing home groups sue Minnesota to block new workforce standards, holiday pay rules
Challenge moves a year-long dispute over the legitimacy of the state's nursing home standards board into federal court.
Spine surgeon built Burnsville campus to operate on patients others deemed too risky
Pioneering surgeon has run afoul of Fairview Health Services, though, which suspended his hospital privileges amid an investigation of his patient care.
Amid uncertainty about the future, more Minnesotans seek long-acting birth control
Some young adults aren't waiting to find out whether access to birth control could be curtailed under the incoming administration.
Transplant at Mayo Clinic replaces 85% of patient's face after more than 50 hours of surgery
Mayo's second-ever face replacement surgery in Rochester involved the work of more than 80 health professionals over three days.
Reversing Minnesota's declining birthrate is costly — and controversial
Chronic health conditions and decisions to delay pregnancies mean state may have to rely on methods like immigration to grow.
Drug study on blood loss prevention may enroll Minnesota trauma patients without consent
National study of emergency patients will seek to determine if earlier drug therapy will slow bleeding and save lives of trauma victims.
Second Trump presidency raises big questions for Minnesota health care
Observers say Trump administration may make changes to the Affordable Care Act, while Kennedy will seek government data on vaccine safety and other topics.
Minnesotans may get money back in settlements with generic drugmakers over alleged price-fixing
Price-fixing allegations lead to settlements with generic drugmakers
Minnesota sees COVID-19 lull this fall, pneumonia in kids
Walking pneumonia up COVID in lull Minnesota
Public health officials debate how to respond to loss of trust after pandemic
Minneapolis hosted national conference at an inflection point for public health and its ability to navigate the U.S. through epidemics, diseases.
Minneapolis nonprofit aims to boost organ donation among men, who lag behind women
Marketing campaign seizes on research that "big-hearted" Minnesota men will sign up to donate if they know more about transplants and recipients.
Analysis finds that after 2 years GLP-1 drugs for weight loss don't justify their price
Study of those who started taking blockbuster weight loss drugs in 2021 suggests patients need support services, not just the medications.
Mayo Clinic completes its first paired liver donation for transplantation
Option could increase transplant options for patients whose friends, relatives aren't good matches for living donations.
U of M expanding research of experimental treatment that saved COVID-19 patients
A spinoff company has been formed to produce a hormone supplement that reduces lung damage, but researchers still need to convince federal regulators of its safety and effectiveness.
Here's how to update your home office to avoid costly pain
From carpal tunnel wrist injuries to "dead-butt" syndrome, desk workers are at greater risk of strain because of poor posture while telecommuting. There are ways to make your home office more ergonomic that are as simple as talking to your HR Department or buying a wireless mouse.
Minneapolis couple allege Fairview sent placenta, not stillborn baby's remains, to funeral home
Grieving couple allege in lawsuit they received a cremated placenta rather than the remains of the daughter they lost due to pregnancy complications at 22 weeks.
U Medical School to study genetic solutions to back pain
Research seeks to identify genetic triggers that can change a person's susceptibility to back pain and resulting complications.
Surgery delays continue as Minnesota hospitals grapple with IV solution shortage
Hurricane Helene damaged Baxter's North Carolina plant that makes 60% of the U.S.'s supply of IV fluids, and Hurricane Milton is threatening another fluid manufacturer B. Braun Medical operates.
Telehealth remains popular in Minnesota, does not lower quality of care: MDH report
Telehealth visits are commonplace in primary care clinics, and research finds no harms to cost and quality of care in Minnesota.
Some elective surgeries in Minn. delayed amid hurricane-related shortage of medical fluids
Supply chain for IV fluids exposed as vulnerable after Hurricane Helene forces shutdown of manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
Minnesota medical debt protections kick in, shielding some consumers from collectors
Attorney general encourages Minnesotans to take advantage of free legal clinic Saturday to learn about options for resolving medical debt.
New calming room in Minnesota to serve as ER alternative
Medica, Emma Norton partner on new facility intended to reduce ER visits for mental health crises.
Mayo halting baby deliveries, inpatient pediatric surgeries in Fairmont
Cuts to southwest Minnesota hospital match those happening statewide as health systems grapple with worker shortages, demographic changes.
Minnesota's measles outbreak was bad but could've been worse
Health officials say the recent outbreak of the highly contagious virus looked bad this summer, but optimism is growing they may have contained it.
Elderly Minnesotan dies of rabies after bat bite
Minnesota has reported just seven cases of the rare infectious disease in more than 100 years, and all were fatal.
Maker of Ozempic, Wegovy sues Minnesota clinic over knockoff weight-loss medication
Lawsuit is part of a nationwide strategy by Novo Nordisk to protect its trademark and profits from its blockbuster GLP-1 drugs.
Mankato clinic to fill gap in rural mental health care, train next generation of therapists
Five-year agreement between Blue Cross and Minnesota State will help new clinic emerge as a regional hub for treatment, training.
Nurse vacancies decline but physician shortage grows at Minnesota hospitals
Amid signs of a youth movement shoring up the nursing ranks, hospitals in the state are facing another problem of aging doctors retiring.
Whether it's for the backpack or science, thousands volunteer for U of M research projects at fair
More than 150,000 Minnesota State Fair visitors have participated over the past decade, supporting hundreds of published studies.
Minnesota tallies 36 measles cases, second-worst total since 2000
State confirms that cases of the highly infectious disease are largely among unvaccinated Somali children.
Walz called out Trump for COVID-19 response. How effective was Walz in Minnesota?
The governor has made COVID-19 response a high-profile issue as he campaigns for vice president, accusing former President Trump of freezing in face of pandemic.
Mayo racing to define what is, and isn't, Alzheimer's in hope of better treatments
Misdiagnosing the cause of a patient's dementia wasn't as problematic in the past when treatments were limited. But new drugs demand more precision.
Measles cases rise again, vexing Minnesota officials trying to nail down cause
Investigation continues to link three mysteriously unrelated infections to overseas sources, or earlier Minnesota cases.
Under new law, hospitals face fines if they don't alert Minnesotans of closures, reduced care
Tougher approach seeks to avoid messy disputes such as in Fosston, Minn., where city leaders are fighting a hospital decision to stop providing routine baby deliveries.
Agencies try to minimize harm from Rainbow Health shutdown
LGTBQ clients had appointments canceled with no notice after closure, and clients with HIV worried about losing vital support services.
U of M study finds stunning impact of poverty on cell function, transplants
Poverty's impact on human biology has "unanticipated persistence," damaging cells in a way that endures even after they are transplanted into others.
Man critically injured in St. Paul bus stop shooting
The shooting occurred at a busy intersection in the Midway district.
Two injured in shooting incident at Brooklyn Park sports park
Shooter may not have been targeting anyone, but caused panic among as many as 300 youths.
Measles threat detected in Twin Cities, troubling public health officials
Experts say unvaccinated people are at risk after three unrelated cases were diagnosed.
July 4th was a COVID spreader in Minnesota, though illnesses far below pandemic peaks
Positivity rates of COVID-19 tests at urgent-care clinics in the east metro rise from 3% in May to 10% in June to nearly 30% now.
Essentia clinic and hospital providers vote to unionize across northeast Minnesota
Nurse practitioners and others celebrate unionization in attempt to gain control over medical practice, even as Essentia appeals federal ruling that permitted the vote.
Minnesota mental health patients stay 25 hours longer than necessary in ER because of shortages
More treatment beds will help in short term, but advocates hope for more services that prevent mental health crises in the first place.
Hennepin EMS seeks paramedic diversity to boost outcomes for minority patients
Foster child-turned first responder-turned breast cancer survivor-turned paramedic is payoff from Hennepin Healthcare's efforts to increase diversity, fix racial disparities in patient care.
Leaving surgical objects in patients rare but growing problem in Minnesota
A lawsuit over a sponge left inside a patient at a Duluth hospital underscores the consequences of an error that is deemed preventable.
Most patients quit GLP-1 drugs in two years, jeopardizing their weight loss
Update by Eagan-based Prime Therapeutics finds more patients quitting the popular weight-loss medications because of cost, access or short-term success.
COVID on the rise everywhere else — is Minnesota next?
Viral variants driving infections in other states are present in Minnesota, creating potential for another post-holiday bump in illnesses.
Minnesotans now need only doctor's OK for medical cannabis
Legislative changes took effect Monday that remove barriers from Minnesota's medical cannabis program after nine years of cautious expansion.
Demand for magnetic therapy in Minnesota prompts expansion of the depression treatment
Transcranial magnetic stimulation gained little attention for years, but emerged in the post-pandemic era as more Minnesotans grappled with depression.
Nineteen rural Minnesota hospitals band together to survive and thrive
The Headwaters Network will give small hospitals opportunities to gain efficiencies without joining large health systems.
Pharma industry has some explaining to do in Minnesota over 10 costly drug classes
State releases its first list of drugs of substantial public interest, focusing on those that are being sold well above their list prices.
Landmark University of Minnesota papers on Alzheimer's and stem cells retracted
Discoveries elevated the profile of the University of Minnesota, which took years to investigate claims of errors and misconduct.
Money pressures, decline in births, prompt North Memorial to shutter special nursery
Research has found more complications when fragile preemies are transferred to other hospitals, but North Memorial leaders said they are equipped to prevent them.
Tularemia infection surge prompts warning, especially for Minnesota cat owners
The infectious disease remains rare, but 21 cases in animals last year tripled the usual total and increased human transmission risks.
