Health

Health
Breaking ground for better care: Minneapolis VA strives to create safer space for women veterans
The Minneapolis VA recently broke ground on a new women’s clinic. When it’s completed in two years, the new facility will not only be larger and offer more services than the current clinic, it will be specially designed to serve the specific physical and mental needs of women veterans.
Early childhood champion Carolyn Smallwood on nurturing young children
What happens to us when we’re very young children can set us up for life. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the CEO of the nonprofit Way to Grow about what we can do to nurture kids’ development.
As debate rages over coverage, rural Minnesotans face challenges getting fertility care
For many rural Minnesotans getting treatments is still really hard and expensive. The stark reality is 1 in 6 in the state are currently experiencing infertility, and for those living outside the metro, treatment options are especially limited. 
 Mayo Clinic Health System to end surgical, labor and delivery units in Fairmont
Surgeries, procedures and in-patient obstetric care, including the labor and delivery unit will permanently end on March 31, though deliveries have been on an extended diversion since August 2024. 
Getting the COVID vaccine during pregnancy protects newborns from hospitalization
Babies under six months can’t be vaccinated directly against COVID. A new study found that most infants hospitalized for COVID had mothers who didn’t get the vaccine while they were pregnant.
Minnesota reports rare human death from rabies
A Minnesota resident who came into contact with a bat in July died of rabies. The state’s department of health announced the rabies death on Friday. The person’s death marks a rare occurrence. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says fewer than 10 people in the the U.S. die from rabies each year.
New vaccines arrive as COVID-19 wastewater levels reach 2024 highpoint
Along with the annual flu vaccine, the new COVID-19 vaccine formulation is now widely available in Minnesota. It comes at a time when COVID-19 hospitalization rates remain stable but elevated and deaths are increasing. In addition, wastewater data shows higher COVID-19 levels than measured in all of 2024.
The impacts of repeated concussions
How many concussions are too many? MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about what we know about how repeated concussions affect us and how to treat them.
Attorney General asks court to provide oversight in Rainbow Health closure
Attorney General Keith Ellison is asking a district court to step in and monitor the dissolution of Rainbow Health, a long-running HIV and LGBTQ+ services center that abruptly shut down in July.