Legislative Session Starts; MMA to Focus on 5 Major Issues
February 19, 2026
State lawmakers returned to St. Paul on February 17 for the second half of the 2025-2026 biennium.
State Hires News Center for Health Equity Director
January 18, 2024
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has hired Odichinma (Odi) Akosionu-DeSouza as its new director of the Center for Health Equity (CHE).
 |
| Odichinma (Odi) Akosionu-DeSouza |
Prior to joining MDH, Akosionu-DeSouza worked at the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity as a project manager and research scholar. She also served as the director of operations for The Research in Color Foundation, leading efforts to support scholars who are interested in pursuing a PhD degree in economics and related fields, with the overarching goal to improve the number of underrepresented scholars within these fields.
The Center for Health Equity, created in 2013 to advance health equity, has grown dramatically, from about a dozen staff in 2020 to approximately 50 today. Recognizing this growth and the center’s role in providing support and technical assistance across the agency, the executive office has elevated the Center for Health Equity to a division named the Division of Health Equity Strategy and Innovation.
Latest News
MMA Leaders Testify on Medicaid Cuts
February 19, 2026
On the second day of the legislative session, MMA leadership was already advocating for one of its top priorities - minimizing the harm of federal changes to Medical Assistance (MA).
MMA Priority Bill on AI and Prior Auth Already Moving at the Capitol
February 19, 2026
Legislation to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in prior authorization requirements was heard in the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee on February 19.