Recent content from Jeremy Olson

Paralyzed Minnesota veterans walk with help from robotic exoskeleton
The SoldierStrong donation increases physical therapy capacity and exercise options at Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

Missing teen's body found in St. Croix River
"Part of me did hope that this wasn't real, but I also knew that it was," his mother said.

Parents fight Minnesota child protection in court after refusing chemo for 5-year-old boy
The Texas couple decry side effects of treatments to prevent relapse, but doctors say Keaton Peck could die if cancer returns.

Final-hour deal removes nurse staffing rules from legislation
The legislation will instead focus on preventing violence against nurses and studying the reasons why they burn out.

Budget that expands Minnesota health care, abortion access, heads to governor
Democrats celebrate gains in health, child care and shelter programs, but Republicans criticize last-minute deals with no public testimony.

Minnesota lawmakers unveil compromise health budget, delay on MinnesotaCare expansion
Mayo Clinic victorious in raising objects to health care affordability board, nurse staffing committees.

Minnesota Board of Nursing director resigns just as board meets to decide her future
Kimberly Miller's decision preempts board discussion about whether to terminate her amid complaints.

Minnesota hospital nurse staffing bill amended to exempt Mayo
Threat to move billion-dollar expansion project to another state pays off for the Rochester-based health system.

Minn. nursing board considers firing executive director after licensing, discipline delays
The board is meeting Thursday after complaints about Kimberly Miller, who assumed the post in 2021.

Lawmakers pulling together exemption for Mayo Clinic in Minnesota nurse staffing bill
Other hospitals cry foul over special treatment while they get hit with costly new regulations.

This nurse quit because of the stress. Now she helps others stay on the job.
Health system lauded for paying workers to seek out support from resiliency coach to address rising stress, burnout.

U researcher seeks to put tarnished Alzheimer's discoveries back on track
Redo of landmark 2006 study is first step while U continues investigation of image manipulation.

'It got very bad, very quickly': Families with transgender kids seek refuge in Minnesota
Advocates report more contact from families in other states that have banned or restricted gender-affirming care.

Mayo threatens to pull back on Minnesota projects if health reforms advance
The warning to Gov. Tim Walz is a last-ditch move to stall health care reforms that have already passed in the House and Senate.

Twin Cities area COVID-19 levels plummet in wastewater data
The drop is a sign of progress as pandemic emergency declarations end.

Minnesota studying nonfatal drug overdoses to prevent fatal ones
Link between drug overdoses and homelessness in northeast Minnesota provides a target for increased prevention efforts.

Audit finds flaws in Minnesota spending on COVID response
The report notes several instances where state agencies exceeded emergency authority or failed to properly document purchases.

Regions Hospital readies rural nurses to help sexual assault victims
Residency program offers training on how to conduct interviews and cope with the stress of their work.

Syphilis cases rose 25% last year in Minnesota
Pandemic might have suppressed screenings for sexually transmitted diseases in 2022, but syphilis cases rose 25% in Minnesota last year.

Attorney general proposed as gatekeeper of Minnesota health care mergers
Legislation empowers Minnesota's lawyer to evaluate whether mergers are good for the state, not just whether they meet charitable, business laws.

Minnesota lawmakers weigh fines, oversight of expensive medical providers
Correction plans and penalties would try to slow spending that translates into higher insurance premiums and copays.

Minnesota leads charge for better vaccines against pandemics, COVID-19
Road map sets target dates for improvements in vaccine development and global distribution during another pandemic or COVID-19 surge.

U study: TikTok can be 'runaway train' of distress for people with mental illness
Social media app provides useful community, but also a runaway train of hit-and-miss content on mental health.

Minnesota experiencing an IVF baby boom even as overall births decline
The pandemic didn't slow infertility treatments in Minnesota.

Minnesota hospitals want some COVID pandemic response rules to become permanent
The federal public health emergency declaration expiring in May allowed broad use of telemedicine and offered more flexibility around patient transfers.

Jan Malcolm: COVID exploited 'every single gap' in state's health, medical care
Former health commissioner's address next week to focus on weaknesses that predisposed Minnesota to pandemic struggles.

Will hospital staffing legislation solve Minnesota's nursing shortage, or make it worse?
State-mandated committees to set nurse staffing levels in hospitals might be politically palatable, but research questions their effectiveness.

Minnesota data upholds COVID-19 vaccine benefits ahead of federal booster decision
Hospitalization and death rates remain lower among Minnesota's seniors who received COVID-19 booster shots, even if they have waning immunity.

Texas company wants to build Minnesota's first stand-alone medical rehab hospital
Inpatient rehabilitation facilities are increasing across the U.S. as possible relief valves for general hospitals.

Minnesota organizes long COVID response as pandemic trends improve
Prevalence might be declining, according to federal survey data, but long COVID is still causing substantial and prolonged disabilities in Minnesotans.

NFL-led coalition calls for cardiac emergency plan for young Minnesota athletes
Pro league group recommended more defibrillators and CPR training for high school sports.

Blood pressure monitoring at home helps Minnesota moms reduce birth complications
St. Cloud Hospital handed out free blood pressure cuffs to try to cut severe maternal morbidity by 25% in the state.

COVID-19 levels decline sharply in Twin Cities wastewater
Hospitalizations and the number of patients requiring intensive care in Minnesota are also down.

Pandemic slowed diagnoses of autism in Minnesota
Despite diagnostic delays in 2020, the prevalence of autism increased to one in 34 8-year-olds in Minnesota, study shows.

$26.4 million grant helps Minnesota hospitals find life-threatening conditions
Emergency usage of ultrasound exams was pioneered at HCMC in Minneapolis, and will be expanded statewide through a Helmsley Charitable Trust grant.

After 3 years, COVID still brings death, heartbreak in Minn.
Risks have declined across age groups, but COVID-19 remains a particular threat to the elderly and chronically ill.

How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed Minnesotans' lives
The pandemic caused abrupt and unusual shifts at home, at work, shopping, traveling and more. Life isn't completely back to pre-pandemic normal — and maybe it never will be.

Minnesota Department of Health launches surveys to assess impact of long COVID
The state continues to see relatively low but lingering levels of COVID-19.

Hunger stalked elderly as Minnesota malnutrition deaths rose during pandemic
The increase was an unexpected finding in the Mayo Clinic analysis of mortality trends in 2020. Mayo blames isolation, but says some lockdown fears never materialized.

Minnesota wastewater data points to spring COVID-19 declines
Minnesota's first confirmed COVID-19 case was announced three years ago this week.

Quick thinking, new treatment at HCMC help save toddler's ear after dog bite
The 2-year-old is among the first in the world to receive hyperbaric therapy to help reattach part of a severed ear.

Minnesota hospital staffing bill advances amid care delays
Worsening staffing, safety problems in hospitals draw lawmaker concerns, but differences over solutions.
Fairview offers to sell University of Minnesota hospital to state
Two former Minnesota governors, Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tim Pawlenty, testified at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday night against out-of-state control of the teaching hospital.

'Moonshot' state program trained hundreds of CNAs. But more are needed
A Minnesota program to provide free training ended, at least temporarily, last month with 2,500 graduates over two rounds. Its impact on the job market is less clear.

Minnesota on downside of winter bump in COVID-19 deaths
This winter wasn't as severe as past years, but showed a short-term increase in COVID-19 deaths, mostly among seniors.

Researchers offer path to improve trust in science after pandemic struggles
Some messages about prevention measures such as masks and vaccines proved problematic later on.

Minn. data dashboard probes violent death causes, trends
The Health Department's database shows that random killings were fairly uncommon and 44% of homicide victims were Black.

Ready to be discharged, hospital patients have nowhere to go
Insufficient number of skilled nursing home facilities and at-home caregivers leads to overcrowded hospitals.

Witnesses say man shot by St. Paul police was behaving erratically
Police say the man, shot and killed Saturday evening by an officer, was coming toward them with a knife.
Two teens die in high-speed car crash near St. Paul
The State Patrol said the teens, both from Wisconsin, were in a car that veered off Highway 61 on Friday night.

St. Paul police fatally shoot man, say he was threatening people with knife
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. after the man was asked to leave an event in a community room at a Western Avenue apartment complex.

Fatal student stabbing in Harding High roils St. Paul
Twin Cities leaders call for increased security and protection for students.

Minnesotans claiming COVID vaccine injuries are left in limbo
Backlog at federal program means waiting months or years to find out if people qualify for compensation to pay for medical care.

Elevated lead levels found in kids of parents who work at Anoka ammunition plant
Discovery in four children prompted plans to screen more children of workers at Federal Ammunition.

Minnesota's third COVID winter much milder than 2021, 2022
Hospitals are reporting fewer cases of COVID in inpatient beds. But the coronavirus behind the pandemic is still circulating.

Minnesota is first U.S. state to universally test newborns for CMV
The easily transmissible cytomegalovirus is a leading cause of infant hearing loss and congenital birth defects.

As Minnesota considers legalizing marijuana, what does research say about the risks?
Medical groups urge lawmakers to raise age limit of legalization proposal from 21 to 25, based on research.

COVID-19 persists while flu declines in Minnesota
An early influenza wave ended early in Minnesota, despite the state's risk factors for a more severe season.

Minnesota lawmakers weigh further review of Fairview-Sanford merger
At least three bills threaten to slow or block the merger, especially if it involves the University of Minnesota's teaching hospital.

Severe COVID-19, flu cases decline, easing pressure on Minnesota hospitals
The state-run COVID-19 St. Paul testing site shuts down Friday, followed by closures this weekend in Duluth, Brooklyn Park and at MSP.

Licensing delays are worsening Minnesota's nurse shortage
Nursing school graduates have jobs lined up, but have to wait months to take required licensing exams.

Medical spending in Minnesota rebounded in 2021
Suspension of non-urgent procedures and fear of COVID-19 reduced medical usage in 2020, but spending on delayed care surged in 2021.

University of Minnesota settles lawsuit in case of doctor acquitted of sexual assault
The doctor no longer works at the hospital, and his temporary license as a Minnesota medical resident has expired.

Minnesota could search sewage for all viruses, not just COVID-19
University of Minnesota research emerges as national scientific group backs broader wastewater surveillance, points to ethical issues.

New variants show little impact so far on COVID trends in state
Neither COVID-19 nor flu numbers have surged in Minnesota after the holidays, defying seasonal patterns.

Actors train Minnesota medical providers to avoid racial bias
Live-action simulation by Children's Minnesota seeks to remedy cause of poor health outcomes in minority patients.

Minnesota snuffed measles clusters in 2022, but risks remain
Declining MMR vaccination rates have created pockets in the state where the infectious disease can spread.

Pediatric vaccinations decline in Minnesota amid COVID-19, parent hesitancy
The decline is another impact of a pandemic that has now caused more than 14,000 COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota.

A new drug aims to delay diabetes, and child in Minnesota is among the first to try it
Screening can identify kids falling into Type 1 diabetes, and now there is a drug to do something about it.

Clinical care improves, but still trails pre-COVID levels in Minnesota
Keeping in touch with patients is one of the keys to better outcomes, nonprofit survey finds.

Minnesota offers last chance access to free COVID-19 tests
COVID-19 levels remain low in Minnesota, but coronavirus variants present concern and need for testing access.

Minnesota could bump up some home care provider salaries by 31%
The contract, subject to final approval, would seek to stabilize that workforce at a time of growing need in the state.

No sign yet of holiday bump in COVID-19, flu levels in Minnesota
The XBB variant has become a dominant source of COVID-19 in other states, and could be a concern if it emerges in Minnesota.

COVID's hidden toll a 2023 challenge for Minnesota
Long COVID, chronic diseases and mental health concerns will all increase demand for medical services in post-pandemic era.

Declining flu plus level COVID-19 equals temporary relief for Minnesota hospitals
Influenza trends point to early season, fueled by low vaccination rates and susceptibility after two mild seasons.