Jill Burcum
Editorial Columnist
HealthcareBurcum has been an editorial writer since March 2008, joining the Editorial Board after working in the newsroom as an editor and reporter. She is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for editorial writing. "Not This Mine. Not This Location," which focused on copper mining’s risk to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, was recognized in 2020. Her "Separate and Unequal" series on dilapidated Bureau of Indian Education schools was a finalist in 2015, and she also testified before Congress that same year about these schools' poor condition. Burcum graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in 1991 and started her career as a reporter for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. She previously worked for Mayo Clinic and Ican Inc.
Latest from Jill Burcum
Burcum: This Minnesota farm family is prepping for more trade turbulence in 2026
There’s no end in sight to the instability created by President Donald Trump’s trade policies, and one analysis projects more challenges in the new year.
December 29, 2025
Burcum: ‘Zero impact,’ or rolling the dice on vets’ health care?
Scrutiny of Veterans Affairs’ staffing decisions is imperative after report that thousands of vacancies will go unfilled.
December 20, 2025
Burcum: Watch out for risky health plans as sticker shock sets in
Consumers might be tempted by less traditional insurance plans amid soaring premiums and expiring enhanced subsidies. But beware.
December 13, 2025
Burcum: Years after losing Main Street landmarks, small towns like Northfield see no easy fix
The iconic Archer House inn burned down in late 2020. But replacing a lost landmark is challenging.
December 10, 2025
Burcum: A city of 24,000 but nowhere to deliver a baby
As Faribault joins the list of cities without a birth center, it may be time for the Legislature to get involved.
December 6, 2025
Burcum: An Army veteran, surgeon becomes collateral damage in U–Fairview spat
Newly released analysis details Dr. Greg Beilman’s urgent concerns about ‘unwinding’ a critical health care partnership.
November 30, 2025
Burcum: When a chatbot becomes a ‘friend’
A deeply disturbing suicide, allegedly encouraged by ChatGPT, illustrates the risks of unregulated artificial intelligence.
November 22, 2025
Burcum: Day of reckoning over Epstein files may finally be here ― bring it on
The documents’ release will almost certainly sully the reputations of prominent people. So be it.
November 19, 2025
Burcum: This harvest, a Minnesota farm family feels the fallout of Trump-era trade
The Johnsons are battling a rising cost of living and crop prices below their breakeven point.
November 16, 2025
Burcum: Stalemate over U medical center ill serves Minnesota
There have been months of negotiations without agreement among the University of Minnesota, Fairview and Essentia. It’s time to explore all options and find a way forward.
November 7, 2025
Burcum: Minnesota’s top mental health group gets an empathetic new leader
Marcus Schmit has taken over for NAMI’s longtime leader, Sue Abderholden. His energy and passion will continue the organization’s vigorous advocacy.
November 3, 2025
Burcum: With SNAP in jeopardy, a Grand Marais grocer lends a hand
With cuts to food aid looming, a grocer whose family relied on the program in her childhood urges Minnesotans to respond with kindness.
October 31, 2025
