December 12, 2024
On December 9, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to improve access to healthcare and address the physician shortage in rural areas.
The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 would authorize the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program to continue providing start-up funding to rural hospitals, medical schools, and other organizations to establish new rural residency programs.
Among current medical residency programs, only 2% of residency training occurs in rural areas, and in Minnesota, 80% of counties qualify as mental health professional shortage areas. The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 will help address the health care provider shortages by supporting the training of more clinicians in rural areas.
“When I meet with families, farmers, businesses and Tribal and community leaders in rural Minnesota, one of the first issues that comes up is health care,” Smith said. “There is a severe lack of access to healthcare in rural communities in Minnesota and across the country, and this bill is the first step to addressing that problem. Establishing more residency programs at rural hospitals and medical schools will incentivize doctors and nurses to work in these areas, help address physician shortages, and ensure Minnesotans living in small towns and rural places have access to the care they deserve.”
August 28, 2025
The apparent removal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, Susan Monarez, PhD, after just weeks on the job, further imperils the work of the CDC and the health of Americans. Her removal was followed by the resignations of other senior leaders at the CDC, who have accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of undermining scientific recommendations for vaccines.
August 26, 2025
University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, MD, will speak at the Empowering Physicians: A Night of Learning & Connection event on Friday, September 26, from 4 to 9 pm, at the historic Hewing Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.
August 26, 2025
America's physicians are seeing a rise in misinformation and disinformation from patients these days, and it’s impacting patient care, according to a new study from the Physicians Foundation.