New COVID-19 Report Shows Disproportionate COVID-19 Mortality Rates in Minnesota’s Asian Community

The Hmong Public Health Association's Policy and Advocacy Committee spearheaded a report on the disproportionate COVID-19 deaths among the Asian community in Minnesota! In partnership with the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), SEARAC, and the UMN School of Public Health, you can find the report in CAAL's press release here: https://caalmn.org/.../new-covid-19-report-shows.../....

April 14, 2021 2:30-5:00pm ET  | Unpacking the Complexities of Intersectional Identities

Not one person is one-dimensional; we all live complex lives that shape our experiences. We invite you to dive deeper into understanding and exploring how race, gender, sexual orientation, cultural and religious affiliation, socioeconomic status, etc. can come together and influence our ways of experiencing, navigating, and perceiving the world. 

Join link: https://weintheworld-org.zoom.us/j/99820839576  

Action Lab to Transforming Policy & Systems to Build Equitable Economies 

April 21, 2021 3:30-5:00pm ET | WE WIN Racial Justice Community (Part 1) Transforming Policy & Systems to Build Equitable Economies 

Join link: https://weintheworld-org.zoom.us/j/99820839576

April 28, 2021 2:30-5:00pm ET | WE WIN Racial Justice Community (Part 2) Action Lab: Building an Equitable Economy

Join link: https://weintheworld-org.zoom.us/j/99820839576

Join the MN Department of Health for a monthly Mental Well-Being and Resilience Learning Community

No Child Left Inside: 100 Ways to Connect Children of Nature

April 27, 2021

There is overwhelming evidence that engaging in nature supports our mental well-being and resilience. For children, other benefits include improvements in problem solving skills, curiosity, imagination, cognition, attention, education outcomes, gross motor skills and more. In 2019 the Minnesota Legislature Authorized No Child Left Inside to promote children and youth engagement with the rich natural resources available in Minnesota. The MN Department of Natural Resources has since had two rounds of grants in 2019 and 2020. 93 grants totaling almost $900,000 were issued equally by capita to six regions of the state for school and youth programs. Learn about the purpose and scope of this grant, and about four projects: Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato, Pedal Power in Minneapolis, Recreational Experiences Achieving Community Harmony (REACH) in Cloquet. Consider opportunities to promote nature in your community, and how you can support this initiative. No Child Left Inside grants | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)

Register to participate here!

Read the posting on University of Minnesota Libraries Continuum

Funding received to preserve ’A Public Health Journal‘ TV programs online

April 12, 2021

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The Social Welfare History Archives received a $10,000 Legacy Amendment grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society for the digital preservation and access project Public Health in Minnesota: Digitizing Recordings of “A Public Health Journal” TV program.

Archivist Linnea Anderson, with inspiration and input from Merry Grande and Donna Anderson from the Minnesota Public Health Association, envisioned a 12-month project to digitize over 300 recordings of the “A Public Health Journal” television program and make them available online. The tapes, which are part of the MPHA records in SWHA, document a range of public health topics but are not viewable because they are in obsolete formats.

Digitizing “A Public Health Journal” will make the programs available online, create a timely addition to current debates on public health, and make the history of public health in Minnesota come alive for a diverse audience of community members, scholars, students, and public health and medical professionals.

This publication was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee. 

Othering & Belonging Spring Summit 2021

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Join the Othering & Belonging Institute on April 21 for a groundbreaking day of connection and big ideas for building a world based on belonging, justice, and care—for our communities, for our living planet, and for our future.

Summit will feature special sessions with Toshi Reagon, john a. powell, Tokata Iron Eyes, Xiye Bastida, The Nile Project, Naomi Klein, Taeku Lee, Astra Taylor, Norma Wong, Sarah Crowell, Alphabet Rockers, and more. Agenda and speakers can be found on our Summit webpage. 

Register for this event here!

MDH announces new opioid podcast series

Free podcast provides listeners insight, hope and help

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today announced the launch of a new podcast series, "Stories from the Field," aimed at addressing the evolving opioid epidemic.

The goals are to provide a voice to those who have experienced substance use disorder, offer resources to those helping people who use drugs make safer choices, and to illustrate the complexities of the epidemic. The podcast hosts a series of experts in the health care field, as well as community leaders and others devoted to reducing the number of Minnesotans affected by this crisis.

The opioid crisis continued to escalate in 2020, with 373 overdose deaths reported in the first six months of the year. That’s compared to all of 2019, where a total of 428 total Minnesotans died from an opioid overdose. Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says the impacts of every overdose, fatal or non-fatal, are far-reaching and avoidable.

“We know that every death by overdose is a preventable death,” said Malcolm. “We need to set our sights on providing support and resources to all Minnesotans who are affected by opioid use disorder, and all communities where substance use leads to personal, family, and community suffering.”

The "Stories from the Field" podcast series tells real stories from real people throughout the state and are just one tool in MDH’s opioid overdose prevention work. The series reveals the raw emotions of people who have battled substance misuse, lost loved ones, and managed to get through it. The diverse group of guests represent communities of color, tribal communities, the LGBTQ population, and a variety of economic backgrounds. Community advocates, medical professionals and other front-line prevention specialists discuss the problem, efforts to destigmatize substance use, and possible solutions. They all agree that recovery is possible.

“Podcasts are just one way the Injury and Violence Prevention section at MDH engages with our communities to address the emerging opioid crisis,” said Dana Farley, injury and violence prevention supervisor. “By featuring the work being done throughout the state, we hope to leave listeners with a sense of hope and that help is available.”

To listen to the podcast series, visit Opioids: Prevention, Treatment and Community-Driven Efforts. For more information and other resources, visit MDH’s Opioid Overdose Prevention page. For downloadable graphs and statistics on opioid use in Minnesota since 2000, visit the MDH Drug Overdose Dashboard.

Join us on March 29, 2021 at 5:30 PM as we kick off the Our Health MN panel series—a series of conversations with lawmakers, city and county officials, community leaders, and YOU about what a healthcare system that works for all of us looks like. Featuring: Rep. Cedrick Frazier, Rep. Athena Hollins, Sen. Jen McEwen, and Sen. Erin Murphy.

Click here to register!

While many parents are excited to see their children return to in-person learning, as well as the prospect for broader COVID vaccine eligibility by May 1st, some public health advocates are also concerned.

Responding to the COVID-19 Infodemic: An NNLM Virtual Symposium

April 8-9, 2021

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT 

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the disparities of underserved, minority and underrepresented communities. This includes ensuring equal understanding of accurate health information, education in hard hit communities and valuing inclusion in clinical research to overcome COVID-19.

The NNLM Virtual Symposium is an opportunity to address misinformation and mistrust, raise awareness about the pandemic and efforts to combat it. Symposium attendees can expect to come away from this experience with a better understanding of COVID-19 as well as strategies and programs that can be used to engage with communities. We are excited to feature the following keynote speakers:

• Vinay Gupta, MD, MPA, Affiliate Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, WA
• Gregg Orton, National Director, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), Washington, DC
• Elizabeth Wilhelm, Health Communications Specialist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Immunization Division, Atlanta, GA
• Chris Pernell, MD, MPH, FACPM, Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer, University Hospital, New York, NY

For more information or to register, visit https://nnlm.vfairs.com/en/.

Join the MN Department of Health for a monthly 

Mental Well-Being and Resilience Learning Community

Men’s Shed: Creating Social Connection in a Sometimes-Lonely World

March 30, 2021

Men’s Shed is an international phenomenon with thousands of clubs worldwide, originating in Australia. In a world that is facing a loneliness epidemic across generations, Men’s Shed builds social connection! Social connection is one of the most important resources for well-being and preventing suicide.  Men’s Shed is a club, mainly for older guys. We have tools, and materials for pursuing our interests and passions, for learning something new and sharing skills. We join to make stuff and tinker. We share a pot of coffee in a friendly atmosphere. Minnesota has five Men’s Shed programs including: Hopkins, Minnetonka, Crystal, Roseville, and Mound.  This may be a particularly important strategy in every community, but particularly among rural communities where rates of suicide among older men has been among the highest in recent years.  Learn about the Men’s Shed history across the globe, and in Minnesota, the benefits to well-being, and about the steps to start a Men’s Shed in your community.   

Click here to register for this event!