The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
September program recap: Health disparities affect us all
The high cost of medical care is sapping resources from investments in public health and social services, investments that can promote wellness and reduce inequities. He challenged us, as individuals, and UMRA as an organization to help change the narrative around health care. We need to strengthen the capacity of communities so that healthy choices are possible and health policies are designed to increase equity, he said. The slides Dr. Ehlinger presented are posted on the UMRA website. They include many disturbing statistics and important messages.
–Jean Kinsey
September Luncheon Meeting
Tue, September 26 2017, 11:30am
Ed Ehlinger
Commissioner
Minnesota Department of Health
Conference Room ABC, Campus Club, Fourth Floor, Coffman Memorial Union
Dr. Edward Ehlinger, Minnesota's Commissioner of Health, will lead off our 2017-18 luncheon series with a timely discussion focusing on “Creating Health in our Community.”
Dr. Ehlinger will review major strides made to improve health over the years and identify recent changes in attitudes and policies that threaten this progress. Of particular interest to Dr. Ehlinger is the shifting narrative regarding health care in our nation.
“Creating health is not dependent just on personal choices; it requires systems and policies,” he says.
As commissioner, Dr. Ehlinger is responsible for directing the work of the Minnesota Department of Health - the state's lead public health agency. The department has approximately 1,400 employees in the Twin Cities area and seven offices in Greater Minnesota.
Many of us may remember Dr. Ehlinger from his days as director and chief health officer for the University’s Boynton Health Service, from 1995 to 2011.
Dr. Ehlinger’s previous experience includes serving as a director of Personal Health Services for the Minneapolis Health Department and working in the National Health Service Corps. Dr. Ehlinger is an adjunct professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the U of M School of Public Health.
Board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, he also holds a master’s degree in public health. Among his professional achievements, Dr. Ehlinger has been honored as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and a Bush Fellow. In addition, he has served as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials the Minnesota Public Health Association, the Twin Cities Medical Society, and the North Central College Health Association.
You may view his slides, or visit his blog for more details on his vision.
- Gerald “Jerry” Rinehart, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.