Allina Health Physicians Vote to Authorize Strike
July 9, 2026
More than 130 Allina Health hospital physicians represented by Doctors Council SEIU voted last week, by a 90% margin, to authorize a strike after nearly two years of bargaining.
MDH Experiences $226 Million Hit from Federal Covid-19 Grant Cut
March 27, 2025
On March 25, the federal government announced cuts of $11.4 billion in COVID-19 related grants nationwide.
In Minnesota, the impact is a loss of approximately $226 million in funding to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), approximately 25% of its current budget. Although a large proportion of the funds were scheduled to expire in July 2026, Commissioner of Health Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD, indicated, on MPR’s Minnesota Now program, that planning and preparation underway to adapt to that “cliff” has been disrupted.
“Abrupt terminations of grants and contracts is unprecedented and will impact our work and that of our partners,” Cunningham said. “Every dollar rescinded had been thoroughly reviewed and approved for its intended purpose by the federal government.”
One specific casualty of the cuts is the MDH Prep Alliance Project, an initiative advocated for by the MMA, which was aimed at documenting challenges faced by physicians and other healthcare professionals during the pandemic that could help inform improved medical-public health collaboration in future public health emergencies.
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MMA Launches New Program to Strengthen Physician Well-being
July 9, 2026
The MMA is launching a new program, exclusive to members, to strengthen physician well-being, reduce professional isolation, build a culture of connection, and foster sustained peer connections over time.
State Pursuing Medicaid Expansion to Treat Incarcerated People
July 9, 2026
Minnesota is pursuing a new initiative that, if approved by the federal government, will allow state Medicaid programs to cover certain behavioral health services and medical care for chronic health conditions for incarcerated people, for up to 90 days before release.