Minnesota Senator John Marty is going to present information about the Minnesota Health Plan, a bill in the State Legislature that  provides universal coverage for all Minnesotans.  This event was initiated by John Marty’s son who is a St. Olaf student and Gary and Mary Carlson’s daughter also at St. Olaf.

Callers with flu symptoms will be connected with a participating nurse at MN FluLine, or a nurse at a triage line operated by their own provider network or health plan. The nurses will evaluate the health concerns of callers and discuss treatment options, using consistent criteria to determine which treatment option is most appropriate for each individual.

Possible treatment options can include rest and fluids at home, a prescription for an antiviral medication, or medical evaluation in a clinic or hospital.

FluLine was developed in response to the first global influenza pandemic in over 40 years. Officials are concerned that the pandemic could overwhelm the health care system, and they believe that FluLine can reduce some of the demands on the system.

FluLine is also expected to help decrease the spread of the flu. By providing assistance over the phone, the new service is expected to limit the number of potentially infectious people who gather in emergency rooms, urgent care centers and clinics.

“We have been concerned that this flu season could place a huge burden on our health care system,” said Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health. “By providing support and treatment options to people over the phone, we hope this new service will allow our health care providers and facilities to focus on those people who most need their attention.”

MN FluLine is the first influenza triage line in the country providing statewide reach and the option of prescribing anti-virals drugs under standing orders from a physician. It is a unique public-private partnership involving the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Minnesota Hospital Association, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, health care providers, local health departments, and the Children’s Physician Network (CPN). CPN is responsible for the actual operation of FluLine. The service was developed with input and advice from a number of other partners, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Minnesota House of Representatives is accepting applications for the 2010 High School Page Program.  The program, which has operated for 30 years,  is open to all Minnesota high school students in their JUNIOR year, whether they attend public or private schools, or are home schooled.

Visit the House website, where you will find important program information and a downloadable application. Applicants are encouraged to read all of the information carefully, paying special attention to the section titled “Information for Students,” and remember that in order to be considered, applications must be postmarked by November 13, 2009.

Recently, I went to Belle Plaine to help with a Minnesota River cleanup effort. The DNR and the city of Belle Plaine along with other organizations worked all morning to pull old tires, scrap metal and other items out of an old junk yard site. Paul Nordell of the DNR, seen in the photo on below, directed the effort on Saturday.

Over the last fifteen years the DNR along with the help of volunteers has pulled hundreds of thousands of tires and tons of material out of this abandoned junk yard in effort to clean up the river valley.  In addition to being unsightly the scrap is dangerous and continues to be a concern for mosquito control.  I enjoyed working with the volunteers from Belle Plaine, New Ulm and other communities who care about cleaning up the Minnesota River Valley

The Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) was formed in the fall of 2008 through Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Executive Order. The Council’s goal is that by 2020, all Minnesota children are school-ready as they enter kindergarten. The Council will provide recommendations to the Governor and Minnesota Legislature toward this outcome.  The Council has 13 state and federal charges that have been grouped into related themes and are being addressed by four committees: Accountability, Access and Finance, Professional Development and Early Learning Standards.

The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has more than $1.4 billion in new funding available to support affordable housing programs for a two-year period beginning Oct. 1, 2009.

An estimated 97,000 Minnesota households will receive assistance under the proposed budget program, Commissioner Dan Bartholomay told a joint hearing of the House Housing Finance and Policy and Public Health Finance Division and the Housing Subcommittee of the Senate Economic Development and Housing Budget Division.

The agency board approved the proposal at its September 24th meeting.  Program funding will come from federal and state resources, bond proceeds and agency resources.

Bartholomay called the proposal “financially responsible,” saying it reflects current market conditions.

One highlight is the availability of $550 million for first-mortgage financing to create homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers. The agency estimates loans for 4,500 households will be financed with these dollars.

Other plan components include:
continued emphasis on affordable housing preservation and more explicit emphasis on foreclosure recovery efforts;
priority for projects that maximize the positive community impact of housing investments; and maximum use of federal dollars.

According to its mission statement, “Minnesota Housing finances and advances affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate income Minnesotans to enhance quality of life and foster strong communities.” In 2008, the agency provided $669.8 million of assistance for more than 67,000 households.