January 30, 2025
The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) new Center for Health Care Affordability (CHCA) has hired its first director.
Alex Caldwell, who started in her new position on January 29, will lead the CHCA’s efforts to build on our holistic understanding of the key drivers of healthcare costs in Minnesota, engage the public on the impact of rising healthcare costs, and collaborate closely with the MDH Health Economics Program to identify related research priorities and propose data-driven policy solutions.
Caldwell worked at the Colorado Health Institute for seven years, including five years as a director. In that capacity, she led teams focused on complex policy research and planning projects involving extensive stakeholder engagement. Her work in Colorado included developing a strategic plan for primary prevention of substance abuse; a guide to inform Colorado’s Opioid Settlement investments; a financial map of the children’s behavioral health system; and a comprehensive statewide needs assessment related to early childhood.
Caldwell has also worked with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Geneva, Switzerland, as well as the Tulane University Cancer Center in New Orleans. She most recently worked in Minnesota as an associate director for FSG, designing and executing systems change strategies for complex projects with large corporate, non-profit, and philanthropic clients.
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.