As the director of web and mobile digital accessibility at HealthPartners, Steve Sawczyn leads a team dedicated to making health care simple and accessible for everyone. Steve, who is blind, has used his own experiences to inspire his team’s accessibility work and says he has learned to challenge what people say is impossible. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD…

Statistics show that women and communities of color are less likely to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation after cardiac arrest. Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah is the emergency medical services director at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and co-founder of Akoma United, an organization with the mission to save lives, especially in communities of c…

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to chronic-pain management. Each person’s story is unique and requires individualized care that often includes non-opioid therapies. Sara Hall, a clinical nurse specialist in pain management at Regions Hospital, shares how a 2020 grant helped her team develop a yoga program that’s more accessible for Spanish-sp…

Stephanie Zahrbock suddenly lost all sensation and the ability to move or feel anything below her belly button in 2016 when a lesion was discovered on her spine. The former runner shares how her world changed and how solutions to her challenges can benefit everyone. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD, and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Stephanie Zahrbock HealthPartn…

It’s important to understand that equity, the quality of being fair and impartial, means we don’t all start from the same place. Equity in the workplace starts with commitment and alignment. Rhonda Cox, vice president of people and culture for Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation, shares why equity’s important to her and what inspired her to want to…

Growing Through Grief is a school-based grief support and crisis management program supported by the Park Nicollet Foundation that provides children with peer support groups, individual counseling, and death-related crisis response after they’ve experienced the loss of a loved one. Nicole Barnes, Growing Through Grief program manager, and Judy Brow…

Our focus on reducing disparities led to a partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. A gap in care with our Somali patient population was discovered after reviewing numbers for colorectal and breast cancer screenings, pediatric immunizations and diabetes. In the Season 4 finale, two HealthPartners colleagues, family nurse practitio…

HealthPartners created myGenetics, a community health research program in partnership with Helix, because DNA can tell people about their health and may hold the key to understanding certain health risk factors. Deenya Craig, a HealthPartners patient with a family history of cancer, started having irregular mammograms in her mid-30s and knew DNA te…

The playing field isn’t always level when it comes to youth sports. Access for kids and communities often depends on whether parents and families can afford the costs connected to teams, training and travel. Lea B. Olsen, a former college athlete with a career in sports, shares her how she found competitive basketball as a kid growing up in South M…

Community Health MPact is a course in which students examine causes of and potential solutions to health inequities impacting urban communities in Minnesota. Urbanization can bring social and economic benefits, but structural inequities in these areas are the key contributors to health inequities which most often harm Black communities and communit…

Allyship is showing solidarity with members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one doesn’t belong. Kelly Fang, senior on-site well-being program manager and health coach, shares her allyship story that began when her child wanted to dress more masculine. She talks about what allyship is and isn’t, struggling with the concept of “living …

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women (excluding skin cancers) and second-leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the U.S. And while African American women are less likely to develop breast cancer, they're more likely to die from it – a lot more likely. Dr. Lashonda Soma, a breast imager for Midwest Radiology who ser…

About 1.5 million Minnesotans with Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare must complete re-enrollment paperwork to re-determine their Medicaid-eligibility status by May 2024. The already significant disparities with access to health insurance for communities of color make this a health equity emergency. Leigh Grauman, a licensed social worker and dire…

Dr. Deb Thorp, medical director of gender services at Park Nicollet, answers questions about the unique health care needs of people who are transgender, the difference between sex and gender, and the care she and her team have been providing for decades. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD, and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Deb Thorp, MD HealthPartners website: Off …

Community Circles are virtual, consultant-led, supported classes that bring Black women together through every stage of pregnancy and post-birth to share their experiences, joys, questions, thoughts and fears. The circles are patient-guided and focus on social support and building community among participants. In the final episode of the third seas…

Dianne Haulcy is president and CEO at The Family Partnership and host of Early Risers, a podcast from Little Moments Count and Minnesota Public Radio. She joins the show to share what led her to pursue childhood education, how families can talk to kids about race and racism, and how the two podcasts have similar origin stories. Hosts: Kari Haley, M…

Members of Regions Hospital’s Surgical Services Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee join the show’s first-ever recording in front of a live audience inside the hospital auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota. Laura Barnes, Drea Bauer, Meghan Gowan and Nick Hommez share how the group got its start, its initiatives and activities and the importance …

The LGBTQ+ Colleague Resource Group at HealthPartners created a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ colleagues through building relationships, offering professional development opportunities and acting as a resource for businesses. Katie Paro, a resource group leader and the specialty and operations manager at our Burnsville clinic, shares the CRG…

Microaggressions, the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle), offensive comments or actions directed at a member of a marginalized group that reinforce stereotypes, come in many forms. Registered nurses Annalise George and Tina Santos and emergency room technician Jenny Sloan share their experiences dealing with and responding to microaggressions as …

Jason Jackson helps leaders and teams at HealthPartners with critically important conversations as a diversity and inclusion consultant. On this episode, he shares his work and passion for equity and inclusion, the importance of not placating to whiteness, and finding a community of care while managing anxiety and depression. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD,…

Well-being and burnout aren’t new topics, but they’ve been in the spotlight since the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Natalia Dorf Biderman, a hospitalist at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and co-chair of the clinician well-being taskforce at HealthPartners, shares how burnout expresses itself and relates to well-being. She a…

Dr. Yeng Yang spent five years in a refugee camp before her family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, when she was 10. Her experiences as a child, including the pain she saw her father go through before he died, drove her to pursue a career in health care focused on equity. Dr. Yang shares changes taking place and the opportunities to improve experience…

The murder of George Floyd and summer of 2020 intensified the equity work of businesses, organizations and government. It was an urgent wakeup call for some but reaffirmation of the work already being done by others. Toni Newborn, human resources director and the first chief equity officer for the City of Saint Paul, discusses cultural and systemic…

Stepping into work centered on diversity, equity and inclusion can seem overwhelming. But finding your area of passion and the community working in that space helps. Dr. Anthony Williams, a hospitalist at Regions Hospital, shares how blending his lived experiences and love of writing and storytelling with patients’ own lived experiences has improve…

HealthPartners is committed to creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, included and valued. As part of that commitment, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, is proud to host the George Floyd Memorial Art Exhibit, “I Am Not You. You Are Not Me. Healing Begins with Acceptance.” The exhibit, displayed from Jan. 6 throug…

In this special episode of Off the Charts, co-hosts Steven Jackson, MD, Kari Haley, MD, and producer Jimmy Bellamy reflect on the past year since the podcast launched. They share the conversations they’re still thinking about, the quotes that have stuck with them and feedback from listeners that inspire them to keep going. Off the Charts will retur…

Lorraine Love spent 15 years in human services before combining the warmth and spirit she had for that work with her skillsets in beauty, design, budgeting and management to open Minnesota’s first Black-owned bridal store. LaNoire Bridal in St. Paul has a culturally diverse selection of wedding attire and services. Love, who grew up in the historic…

For the past 40 years, Washington, D.C.-based Grantmakers In Health has been dedicated to helping foundations and funders of all sizes and interests through education, leadership and networking, working with hundreds of philanthropic organizations across the United States. Dr. Cara V. James, president and CEO at GIH, shares how and why her career h…

Penumbra Theatre was founded in 1976 by Lou Bellamy as a forum for African American voices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area’s theater community. Today, Penumbra is using arts, equity and wellness as it evolves into the Penumbra Center for Racial Healing. President Sarah Bellamy and wellness director Camille Cyprian join share the process and …

When Willie Braziel thinks about growing up in a single-parent household without his father, he remembers the father figures and peers who helped him on his journey. The operations manager for HealthPartners Institute’s Office of Health Professional Education shares how role models and community programs for youth led him to a lifetime of mentorshi…

Munira MaalimIsaq remembers how difficult navigating the health care system was for her family after they moved to the U.S. from Somalia when she was 9 years old. Since then, she has wanted to help others in a similar position and give back to her community. Asking people what they need and providing education have been her keys to connection. Maal…

Health and well-being create a perspective that activates the way the world engages with us. Activities that are nature-based, happen outdoors and have an element of adventure lead to self-discovery, connection to the environment and building communities. Anthony Taylor, of the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission, shares how riding his bik…

Equity and diversity bring new ideas, innovation and a richness that move progress forward. But some may think it’s a zero-sum game, that giving someone power takes it away from someone else. Emily Binstadt, MD, HealthPartners emergency medicine physician and director of simulation at Regions Hospital, talks about being a fierce advocate for women …

At HealthPartners and Park Nicollet, it’s part of our ongoing work to improve the health and well-being of birthing parents and babies, through health equity efforts focused on eliminating disparities in maternal and infant care. Dr. Diane Banigo, a doctorate-prepared midwife, certified nurse midwife and Park Nicollet community consultant, discusse…

NOTE TO LISTENERS: Technical difficulties affected some of the audio on this episode. Historically, there hasn’t been a lot of diversity in firefighting and emergency medical services. Seeing is believing, and two graduates of the St. Paul Fire Department’s EMS Academy Pathways program, which provides tuition-free emergency medical technician certi…

Childhood immunization schedules are designed for children’s young immune systems, helping to protect them from preventable diseases as early and as safely as possible. That’s why it’s so important to stay on schedule – even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrea Singh, MD, department chair of pediatrics at Park Nicollet and co-lead of the Children’s…

Racial disparities and major deficits exist in almost every child health measure. The most important one to improve, according to Dr. Jason Maxwell, is reading and literacy because of its statistical connection to adult poverty and incarceration. Dr. Maxwell, the HealthPartners chair of pediatrics and HealthPartners Como Clinic medical director, di…

In maternal health, race matters. In the U.S., it’s evident in the statistics and disparities in maternal- and infant-health outcomes. HealthPartners is working to help reverse the trends of health inequities and close gaps in the disparities of birth outcomes with family-centered care, high reliability and health equity. Dr. Corinne Brown-Robinson…

Being welcome, included and valued is a basic human need and essential to health and well-being. It’s why eliminating inequities is key to creating healthy communities. As an organization dedicated to the health and well-being of every person, HealthPartners is committed to building an anti-racist culture. President and CEO Andrea Walsh discusses t…

That Got Weird, a digital series from Twin Cities PBS, confronts the uncomfortable with real stories of racism experienced by Indigenous, Black, Asian and other people of color in Minnesota. Along with a promise of anonymity, each subject interviewed has a hand in designing their own character and giving it a pseudonym. Myc Daz, the show’s characte…

Regions Hospital was the first Minnesota hospital to be verified as both a Level I trauma center for adults and children, able to meet the strict standards of providing entire families the highest level of care. Kelsey Berndt, MD, a trauma surgeon and the medical director of the surgical intensive care unit at Regions, joins the show to discuss tra…

Awareness for mental health services in the U.S. has increased in recent years, but more work must be done. Over time we’ve learned how to talk about it – and just how important it is to speak up – as one in five people will experience mental illness. Sarah Cassell, the director of inpatient mental health services at Regions Hospital, joins the sho…

Pregnant patients should feel empowered to have a birth experience that reflects their culture and values. Regions Hospital Family Birth Center was created with that focus – as a place for family-centered care, high reliability and health equity. LeeAnn Hubbard, MD, the birth center’s medical director, discusses how health equity is the foundation …

Everyone can actively work to develop greater intercultural competence. The Intercultural Development Continuum™ provides a roadmap for individuals, teams and organizations who wish to improve on their ability to understand and adapt to the diversity around them and become more fully inclusive. Sidney Van Dyke, the director of health equity and lan…

In this special episode of Off the Charts, we get to know co-host Steven Jackson, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, and the medical director of patient experience at Regions Hospital. Dr. Jackson shares stories about growing up in Chicago, his desire to help people and how he always knew that he wanted to be a doctor. Host: Kari…

In this special episode of Off the Charts, we get to know co-host Kari Haley, MD, an emergency medicine physician and assistant medical director of Regions Hospital EMS. Dr. Haley shares stories about her birth in South Korea, adoption and growing up in Delano, Minnesota, her decision to pursue emergency medicine and passion for health equity. Host…

Cultural humility is as essential as anything else in the journey toward equity. Humility comes when we’re critical of ourselves and able to realize our map is only a piece of the whole territory. Miguel Ruiz, MD, a HealthPartners hospice and palliative medicine physician, inspires us with a conversation about cultural competency vs. cultural humil…

In order to be anti-racist, we need to understand the levels of racism, how they impact public health and identify racism when we see it. Nathan Chomilo, MD, a HealthPartners pediatrician and internist and the medical director of Minnesota Medicaid, shares how to apply anti-racism to our everyday lives. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD, and Steven Jackson, MD…

Learning about, understanding and appreciating the community we serve are critical pieces for building trust along the health care journey. Toweya Brown-Ochs, the director of diversity and inclusion at HealthPartners, discusses how it doesn’t happen overnight, the differences between intent and impact, and why impact matters. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD,…

Microaggressions are one of the main ways racism and prejudice persist, even in health care. But what exactly are microaggressions? Benji Mathews, MD, joins hosts Kari Haley, MD, and Steven Jackson, MD, to talk about the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways discrimination can influence the world around us. They also discuss everyday ways we can recogniz…