March 31, 2022
After two days in committee, Gov. Tim Walz’s supplemental budget proposal for the Minnesota Department of Health has a revised focus on the state’s healthcare workforce.
HF 4398, which was heard this week in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, aims to revitalize the state's disability, substance use disorder, housing, and older adult workforce. The proposal establishes a workforce incentive fund to cover retention payments, post-secondary costs, transportation, and childcare costs.
Deb Dittberner, MD, MBA, president of the Minesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP), testified in support of several provisions in the bill specifically focused on workforce. She noted her strong support for “funding new primary care residency training grants to establish rural physician residency programs to train future physicians in rural Minnesota.” She also supported “clinical health care training grants to clinical settings for medical students, pharmacists, dentists, advance practice nurses, and more.”
Dittberner also gave her support for community-based grants to expand and strengthen the community health workers workforce, specifically to address social determinants of health.
The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill.
August 20, 2026
A physician and Olympian will give an inspirational address as part of this year's Empowering Physicians event on Friday, September 25, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
August 20, 2026
Minnesota received some disturbing news this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as data shows that for the 2025-2026 school year, vaccination rates decreased and non-medical exemptions increased.
August 20, 2026
On August 11, a federal appellate court sided with the Texas Medical Association (TMA) argument that the way the No Surprises Act’s qualifying payment amount (QPA) is calculated has historically favored payers in arbitration.