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ST. PAUL, MINN – The Minnesota House and Senate voted today to pass a $1.60 increase in the price per pack of cigarettes. This bold decision will save lives and save the state health care costs. By raising the price of cigarettes, 47,700 Minnesota kids will not become tobacco-addicted adults;...

Justin wanted to make sure you saw this great news release from the Minnesota Department of Health on stroke in Minnesota: In recent years, Minnesota has made significant progress in reducing hospitalizations for heart attacks but rates of stroke hospitalizations have remained stubbornly steady. ...

As you probably already know, May is Stroke Month! What better way to celebrate stroke awareness than to take a few minutes and learn about the stroke systems bill we are advocating for in Minnesota. Every year there are nearly 12,000 hospital admissions in Minnesota due to stroke, and a new effort...

http://www.envisionmn.org/our-news/ The following is adapted from the Envision Minnesota press release at the web site above: Northfield, MN took a stand last year for streets that work for all our residents. Now that policy is being recognized by a national coalition of Complete Streets advocates...

A new poll released today by the Raise it for Health coalition shows that 66 percent of Minnesotans support raising the tobacco tax by $1.50 per pack to address Minnesota’s budget deficit, help addicted smokers quit and keep kids from starting to smoke. Read more here. Then, help us raise the...

Rachel wanted me to make sure you saw this article on keeping our kids active. Today is the first day of Screen-Free Week, an annual effort to get kids unleashed from the grip of electronic devices - if only for a few days. According to Dr. Susan Linn, director of Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood...

You're invited to help develop recommendations for the new Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) by attending a focus group discussion at one of three locations (or online) throughout the state. This is your chance to give input about setting priorities for administering the TAP, including identifying...

Rachel wanted me to share this Letter to the Editor, by Dr. David Tilstra, President of CentraCare Clinic on Safe Routes to School. CentraCare Health System strives to improve the health of Central Minnesota residents. Encouraging community members, especially school-age youth, to walk and bike more...

April 18 was the Raise It For Health Coalition Day at the Capitol. Minnesota advocates gathered in St. Paul to lobby legislators to increase the tobacco tax. Despite the lovely weather, we had a great turnout and amazing, positive energy throughout the day. We had over 200 people in attendance—demonstrating...

Rachel wanted me to share this article on healthier food menus for students in Minneapolis. The students scarfing down wheatberry salad, orange chicken or black bean burgers at Washburn High School may not know it, but they’re part of a grand gamble by the Minneapolis school lunch folks. ...

Rachel wanted me to share this article by Rep. Kim Norton on healthier food options in our schools. As a parent, I tried to teach my kids to make healthy choices. As a state representative, I understand that policy plays a crucial role in ensuring children have healthy choices at school. That’s...

Six Minnesota advocates have traveled to Washington D.C. to be a part of the 2013 You're the Cure on the Hill! Below is a message from the group: We attended an inspiring Rally for Medical Research this morning in support of restoring $32 million in NIH funding. There were thousands of attendees...

On April 3 rd , the American Heart Association co-sponsored the 3 rd annual Health Equity Day on the Hill in Minnesota. Community leaders and advocates from across the spectrum of Health Equity turned out participate in a morning training that covered: Social Determinants of Health; Power Pyramid Analysis;...

Rachel wanted me to share this article on tobacco tax. Ninety-four cents isn't enough to buy you a pack of gum. It's not enough to buy you a bus ride to work. In many cases, 94 cents isn't even enough to get you a can of soda from a vending machine. But if we are smart about it, 94...

Rachel wanted me to share this article on the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP). ST. PAUL, Minn. - Lawmakers return from their spring break next week, and among the budget decisions still to be resolved is whether to continue funding the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) . The...

Governor Dayton signed the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange Bill into law today. The new law creates an online marketplace for individuals and small businesses to shop for, compare and ultimately purchase Health Insurance. Health Insurance Exchanges were a key part of the Affordable Care Act overhaul...

Miss Minnesota and American Heart Association volunteer, Siri Freeh, met with Governor Mark Dayton on March 14th to discuss preventing heart disease and stroke. Siri shared photos of her visits to schools around the state where she delivered a message to students about staying heart healthy. Siri also...

HF797, the Safe Routes to School bill, was heard in the House Transportation Finance committee on March 7. Testifiers included our chief author, Rep. Melissa Hortman, Patrick Sullivan (recent Mounds View High School graduate and current freshman at Macalester), and Jodi Gertken, Program Coordinator for...

American Heart Association is a supporter of the Minnesota Health Hospital Challenge—seeking to get hospitals in Minnesota to remove sugar sweetened beverages from their campuses. Starting this weekend, you can forget about buying a vanilla latte or a Mountain Dew at Grand Itasca Hospital in...

The first steps to launching an Acute Stroke System of Care for Minnesota had its debut this week at the Legislature. HF 672 & SF 598, a bill allowing for designation of stroke hospitals based on capacity. The bill is bipartisan and passed out BOTH the House and Senate HHS Policy Committees this...

Today, Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler, a cardiologist, the Vice President of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Allina Health, and a volunteer with the American Heart Association, testified before the Senate Tax Reform Committee. The committee heard three proposals that would raise the...

100 people gathered from all corners of the state today to bring a message to their legislators about Safe Routes to School. Former Congressman and Chair of the US House Transportation Committee, Jim Oberstar, delivered the keynote to an enthusiastic crowd in the Capitol Rotunda. (Pictured) The Safe...

Greetings! Justin wanted me to this article on Plymouth's Heart Safe initiative. Teddy Okerstrom, 16, went into Sudden Cardiac Arrest on the Wayzata High School football field while running sprints on June 16, 2009. Teddy’s heart experienced ventricular fibrillation, meaning his heart stopped...

Governor Mark Dayton has recently released included funding for the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) in his budget. Check it out here this great one-pager in support of SHIP .

The following is an update on the pulse ox hearing from Justin Bell: The Pulse Ox Newborn Screening Bill (H.F. 483) had its first hearing yesterday in the House HHS Policy Committee - where it passed out unanimously! The bill will ensure that every newborn is screened for Critical Congenital Heart...