February 1, 2024
On January 25, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that in 2023 Minnesota witnessed the highest number of congenital syphilis cases in at least 40 years.
The MMA and MDH will host a virtual forum on “Rising Congenital Syphilis in Minnesota: A Special Briefing for Health Care Providers” tomorrow (February 2) from noon to 1 pm. Register here.
Twenty-nine cases of congenital syphilis (including three stillbirths) were reported in Minnesota in 2023. Congenital syphilis occurs when a pregnant person passes their syphilis infection on to their fetus during pregnancy, which can cause severe complications such as miscarriages, stillbirths, premature birth and brain/nerve problems (including blindness and deafness).
Due to the rising number of cases, MDH has updated screening guidelines for healthcare providers. The updated recommendations state that all pregnant people should be screened at least three times during pregnancy, including at the first prenatal encounter (ideally during the first trimester), around 28 weeks of pregnancy and at delivery.
Minnesotans of all races, ethnicity, gender and/or sexual orientations are increasingly impacted by syphilis. However, people who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), Black and Latin/Hispanic are disproportionally impacted by syphilis due to a combination of factors affecting the social determinants of health, including differences in health insurance coverage, employment status, and access to preventive, screening, and curative services.
MDH is working directly with healthcare providers to improve understanding of signs and symptoms, routine screening, treatment and prevention of congenital syphilis. Because some pregnant people may not access traditional prenatal care, MDH will work with additional partners to increase screening for syphilis through partnerships with emergency departments, urgent care centers, correctional facilities, harm reduction/treatment providers and primary care clinics.
Additional data and information about syphilis can be found on the MDH website: Syphilis.
May 29, 2025
As the Legislature works to complete its work on the state’s two-year budget, another deadline is looming. Legislators are required to pass a balanced budget before the end of the fiscal year—June 30, 2025. If they don’t meet that deadline, the state will begin a partial shutdown.
May 29, 2025
Registration has opened for the Empowering Physicians: A Night of Reflection and Engagement event, featuring best-selling author Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD.
May 29, 2025
The AMA is encouraging physicians to contact their U.S. senators and urge them to revise the reconciliation bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. While the bill includes language that would stabilize Medicare physician payments, it also threatens to cripple Medicaid and CHIP.