April 23, 2026
Nearly 70 Minnesota youth were introduced to the world of healthcare on April 18 at the Rural Youth Medical Careers Discovery Day, held on the campus of the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud.
The event, geared for youth ages 9-14+, was done as a partnership between the MMA and the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud, with support from the CentraCare Foundation. The event was also done in collaboration with the Minnesota Rural Health Association, the University of Minnesota Pre-Health Student Resource Center, and Gillette Children’s.
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A team effort! Kim Tjaden, MD, MPH, chair of the MMA Board of Trustees (left); Jill Amsberry, DO, assistant dean of undergraduate medical education, University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud; Juliana Milhofer, JD, MMA manager of public health policy & community health partnerships; and Maryam Abdulwahab and Sabrin Khalif, both pre-med students at the University of Minnesota. |
Parents/guardians in attendance also had a chance to learn more about the important role that they can play in supporting their children’s interest in healthcare careers – through a panel discussion titled, “Growing Your White Coat.” This panel showcased the various parts of the physician journey -- pre-med student, medical student, resident, attending physician.
The youth in attendance had the opportunity to step into the world of medicine through interactive experiences like X-ray imaging, suturing, casting and splinting, administering vaccines, and phlebotomy.
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A grandmother and her grandson learn casting skills from a staff member at Gillette Children’s. |
During the lunch hour, youth and their parents/guardians had a chance to visit a Career Exploration Fair and connect with representatives from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, MMA, Minnesota Rural Health Association, Saint Cloud Technical & Community College, University of Minnesota Pre-Health Student Resource Center, and University of Minnesota Rochester.
July 23, 2026
On July 21, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they are deferring more than $1 billion in federal Medicaid payments to Minnesota and California in an effort the combat "fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid and safeguard federal taxpayer dollars."
July 23, 2026
Calls, texts, and chats routed to 988 Minnesota Lifeline centers have increased year after year since the national mental health lifeline launched in July 2022.
July 23, 2026
MMA members are encouraged to vote for incoming MMA leadership during the month of August as part of MMA’s annual leadership election process.