March 7, 2024
While having open conversations about mental health struggles can be difficult, they are a crucial step in preventing an emergency. If you’re concerned that someone close to you is exhibiting signs of emotional distress or suicide risk, we urge you to use the Open Your Heart Conversation Starter as a helpful guide for a meaningful conversation.
These tips—including how to prepare for the conversation, find the right time, choose the right language, actively listen and navigate resistance—can be used to help you check in with a colleague or loved one. Please join us in using and sharing the guide to help facilitate these conversations. The conversation starter is also available on the MMA’s Practice Well Collaboratory site.
If you would like to schedule a suicide prevention training at your clinic, the MMA Foundation offers suicide prevention trainings to MMA members, at no cost. These training workshops, led by Joshua Stein, MD, include Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training. QPR is a 1.5-hour, evidence-based presentation that teaches best practices in suicide prevention and three steps to help prevent suicide. CALM is designed to provide counseling strategies to help patients at risk for suicide and their families reduce access to lethal means, particularly (but not exclusively) firearms. Attendees can earn CME credit for both.
The trainings are sponsored by the MMA Foundation and are available to MMA members. For more information, contact Kristen Gloege.
July 10, 2025
With the passage of President Trump’s budget bill, many in healthcare are wondering how it will affect the practice of medicine in the United States, and how it will impact the health of Minnesotans.
July 10, 2025
With an overwhelming 90% vote of support, Allina Health physicians, physicians’ assistants, and nurse practitioners voted to authorize a strike if the members of the Doctors Council – SEIU and Allina cannot reach a deal.
July 10, 2025
The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Equitable Health Care Task Force is seeking public comment on its draft recommendations for improving health equity across the state.