Our Stories. Our Health.

The CDC signed off on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. Dr. Lichtsinn gives us some background information on how it happened and shares important information for parents. 

The delta variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain in Minnesota. In this episode, Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn explains why the delta variant is particularly dangerous, how we can mitigate the risk of catching COVID-19 (even if we're vaccinated) and spreading it to others, and what it all means for the coming months. And we couldn't resist a little gymnastics talk after St. Paul's Suni Lee won gold a few hours before we recorded! 

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, check out the MN Department of Health Vaccine Connector: https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/connector/ 

In honor of Twin Cities Pride Weekend, Alissa Light and Nathalie Crowley talk about Family Tree Clinic, a leading reproductive and sexual health care clinic. Through education and programs like their LGBTQ Health Access Initiative, Family Tree is proof that we can center healthcare on the needs of our communities, treat all patients with dignity and respect, and that a well-educated community is a healthier community. 

Check out Family Tree's website for more information: https://www.familytreeclinic.org/

It's a short and sweet update from Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn about variants, rising case numbers and vaccines. Plus, a clue as to what Hayley will be baking Hannah for her birthday when we can once again gather together!

The FDA has granted emergency use authorization to two COVID-19 vaccines and healthcare workers across the state are starting to receive their vaccines. Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn joins to help us understand how vaccines are developed and how this vaccine might impact our communities. 

Sam Zimmerman joins us to explain how the new contact tracing app, COVIDaware MN, works. Sam is the CTO of the organization PathCheck, a nonprofit developing contact tracing applications for around the country, and oversees all of the technology used to build COVIDaware MN. Download the app in the App Store or on Google Play. For more information, head to covidawaremn.com.

We asked Minnesotans to share with us what they were thinking about as they voted this year. 

After a bit of a summer break, Dr. Lichtsinn is back to share her thoughts on healthcare in Minnesota during the era of COVID. In this episode, we talk about the closures of hospitals during a pandemic and what that means to our healthcare system as a whole. Spoiler, we think it is very bad, but Hannah also reminds us that as things start to crumble, we can find ground on which to build. 

This week, MDH announced an expansion of testing options for Minnesotans, while the CDC announced new guidelines about who should be tested. If you're confused, don't worry, we have some questions too. Dr. Lichtsinn helps us focus in on what we need to know about testing. 

Ruth Richardson is a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the CEO of Wayside Recover Center, which specializes in chemical dependency and mental health treatment for women and their families. As a member of the POCI (People of Color and Indigenous) Caucus in the Minnesota House, Rep. Richardson was one of the legislators who sought to specifically name Racism as a Public Health Crisis, chief authoring the House Resolution that passed this summer. In this episode, Hayley learns more about Wayside's many programs and the process of passing the long overdue resolution in the House. Let us know if you want to join our Ruth Richardson fan club. 

In April, Gov. Walz signed an executive order that allowed the MN Department of Health to share certain information about COVID-19 cases with the Department of Public Safety. The goal of this EO was to protect the health of first responders in emergency situations. In communities of color and immigrant communities, however, distrust of law enforcement, fear of police retaliation (especially in the wake of George Floyd's murder) and concern over health data privacy meant that a policy such as EO 20-34 could lead individuals to forgo COVID-19 testing. Abeer Syedah, a member of the Our Stories. Our Health., and Erin Murphy join Hayley to talk about the ways in which policies intended to help communities might actually cause more harm, and the ways we can craft policies to realize a more just and equitable society. 

This one is all about masks! Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn joins Hayley to talk about why we should all wear a mask, a six-year-old's thoughts on masks, and Hannah's and Hayley's favorite visual representation of the importance of masks. 

In this episode, Dr. Lichtsinn talks all about masks and why she thinks they should be mandated indoors in public places throughout the state. This episode was recorded on July 6, 2020. 

This week, Dr. Lichtsinn shares her thoughts about the lifting of the Stay-a-Home order and how that might change the way the virus spreads throughout Minnesota. 

This week, Dr. Lichtsinn shares updates on her expanding telemedicine appointments and how her clinic system is preparing for a surge, including placing doctors like Hannah in hospitals. She also tells us where she gets her COVID info, in case you are in the mood for some extra reading this weekend. This episode was recorded on May 8, 2020. 

This week, Hannah shares some of the uncertainty in her life and in the lives of her colleagues. This episode was recorded on Friday, May 1, 2020. 

When Bryce Maples's flight home to Minneapolis for spring break landed, he was flooded with text messages and emails. George Washington University, like so many colleges in the US, was shutting down for the rest of the year and Bryce would have to finish out his semester at home. Despite being the youngest member of the Our Stories. Our Health. Board of Directors, Bryce has a unique understanding of the healthcare system. Born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy called Charcot Marie Tooth, he has navigated the complicated web of healthcare throughout his life. That unique understanding has turned into a passion for health justice.

This week, Hayley and Dr. Lichtsinn talk testing and tracing. We're hearing more and more about two different types of testing and Dr. Lichtsinn walks us through what each test is and why they're important, including how they inform contact tracing efforts. This episode was recorded on Thursday, April 23, 2020. 

Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn shares some of what she has experienced in the past week. This episode was recorded on April 12, 2020. 

This week, Dr. Hannah Lichtsinn shares her concerns about hospital and clinic staffing and the ways in which she and her colleagues are making changes to better serve their patients. This episode was recorded on April 2, 2020. 

As we all find ourselves working from home, social distancing, and living in a quickly-changing world, school districts across Minnesota are working to make sure their kids are fed healthy breakfasts and lunches, even if they can't be physically at school. In this episode, we hear from Jim Miklausich, a principal in the Shakopee Public Schools, who has set up childcare and a way to feed many of his students, almost overnight. This episode was recorded on Friday, March 20, 2020. 

In our first full-lengthened episode of the podcast, Our Stories. Our Health. Executive Director, Erin Murphy, talks about how this organization got its start, what we're following in the Minnesota legislature and shares a few stories. This podcast was recorded on Thursday, March 5, 2020. 

Welcome to the Our Stories. Our Health. Podcast!

Our Stories. Our Health. launched as a nonprofit in September 2019 to change the way we talk about healthcare. We want the debate to be about people, not profits, and names, not numbers.

We're here to bring you the stories and experiences of real Minnesotans as they navigate the healthcare system. Each of us has a story and we want to share as many as we can. We know the healthcare system does not work for all of us, and your stories are the proof. 

Subscribe to hear the latest stories and check us out on social media @ourhealthmn. Want to get in touch? Email info@ourstoriesourhealth.org.