Birth justice

SHAPE data 2023

The SHAPE survey – conducted every four years since 1998 – asks Hennepin County residents about the factors that influence their health, such as diet, physical activity, housing, health care, and more. 

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Success stories of collective impact on housing and well-being

Hennepin County Community Health Improvement Partnership – or “CHIP” – has provided funding directly to people and organizations in the community to work on issues related to housing stability and mental well-being. 

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The power of peer support in recovery

Twin Cities Recovery Project (TCRP) Inc is one of the 17 organizations Hennepin County has contracted with to provide opioid services to groups disproportionately impacted by the epidemic.

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Becoming more resilient to climate change

This is how Hennepin County is increasing resiliency to climate change.

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Responding to HIV Outbreak Among People Who Inject Drugs

This is the story of how Hennepin County Public Health and our partners responded to the HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs. 

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The making of a mental health professional

Latisha Edwards is a social worker at Hennepin County Cope, a 24/7 mobile crisis response program.

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Hennepin County Public Health 2022 annual report

Check out what Hennepin County Public Health accomplished in 2022. 

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Tackling two epidemics

The opioid and HIV epidemics cannot be addressed in isolation. As part of its opioid prevention response, Hennepin County is partnering with the Aliveness Project, a Minneapolis nonprofit that’s tackling HIV.

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Providing opioid prevention services to the East African community

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Health Care for the Homeless supports clients through the pandemic

For many people, Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless is their only access to health care. When COVID-19 hit, staff figured out how to respond.

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Preventing the spread of COVID-19 by providing millions of masks

During COVID-19, Hennepin County provided 2.7 million masks (and counting) to our community -- with the help of over 600 community partners. Here's the "behind the scenes" story.

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Wind, rain, snow, slush: logisticians work through it all

Between January 2020 and July 2022, Public Health's logistics team has supported 187 COVID-19 testing events. They’ve also supported 516 vaccine events where 35,676 people have received 71,845 vaccines.

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Supporting vaccine events: a heart for community

Hennepin County Public Health supported more than 160 community-based vaccine events between April 2021 and today.

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Navigation center

Implementing the navigation center phone line was an important accessibility improvement undertaken by the county and a commitment to equity in the vaccine response.

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Providing essential services during a pandemic

During the pandemic, dozens of staff provided food, medications, and other essential services to Hennepin County residents who'd tested positive for COVID-19.

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COVID-19 response task force: frontline staff share their stories

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Case investigation: making public health guidance personal

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Data: backbone of the COVID-19 response

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Immunizing babies, protecting community

Due to COVID, many kids fell behind on childhood immunizations. Baby Tracks is taking innovative approaches to help.

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Hip Hop and vaccination

Through a unique partnership, House of Dance Twin Cities is using dance and music to bring people together, build trust and friendship, and promote COVID-19 vaccination.

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Mental health during the pandemic

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Bringing vaccination to community

The county has partnered with dozens of community partners to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Hennepin County Public Health 2021-2025 strategic plan

The strategic plan charts a course for the future of Hennepin County Public Health and its service to the county.  

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The opioid epidemic gets worse during COVID-19

News of the opioid epidemic has gotten lost beneath COVID-19. Here's what's going on.

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Take care of each other

A message for people and communities in Hennepin County to take heart and take steps to stay healthy and safe from COVID-19.

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Contact tracing to slow the spread

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Franny Dorr, a Hennepin County epidemiologist, has spent hours on the phone, talking to people with COVID-19 and people they may have exposed.

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Being a clinician during coronavirus

Three staff at the Hennepin County Public Health Clinic describe how they've adapted their work to serve clients safely.

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WIC supports breastfeeding during COVID-19

When Avra's daughter was nine weeks old, Minnesota had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Throughout the subsequent shutdowns, one thing's been constant: WIC.

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Strong Beginnings

Learn how Hennepin County's Strong Beginnings partnership to trying to help children get the quality childhood care they need to support optimal brain development.

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Hennepin County Public Health – 2019 Report

Check out what Hennepin County Public Health accomplished in 2019.

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Grocery store on a bus

Since 2014, the Twin Cities Mobile Market has been bringing hundreds of food items to neighborhoods and housing units where people may find it difficult to access or afford fresh, healthy food.

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Practicing mental health care in homeless shelters

Each week, Naomy provides mental health care to people experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities.

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Make a Splash

Sisters Olivia and Sylvana had never taken swim lessons before Hennepin County's Make a Splash program. Now they’ve learned to float, kick, glide, and are starting to practice swim strokes.

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Teen voices

A paid internship at Brooklyn Center High School is empowering youth to act as peer sexual health educators and to identify health issues they can improve within their school district.

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A soldier's story

Tyrone Patterson serves in the Army and provides clinical care to people with mental illness. For many years, he’s also struggled, sometimes silently due to stigma, with his own mental illness.

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Syringe exchange saves lives

Each week, injection drug users visit Hennepin County Red Door Clinic’s syringe exchange program. The program has a surprising number of public health benefits.

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Taking strides to better health

Learn how kids, adults, and families are staying active, having fun, and connecting with their communities through the Step to it challenge.

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Chocolate Milk Day

For two decades, Dr. LaVonne Moore has been on a quiet crusade. Her passion project? Helping women all over the Twin Cities overcome barriers to breastfeeding.

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Moms helping moms breastfeed

Women face barriers to breastfeeding, especially women of color. A WIC program is trying to help by pairing breastfeeding mothers with women who have experience breastfeeding their own children. 

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Four friends fight food waste

Four friends were disturbed by how much food in the Twin Cities is wasted. So they did something radical about it.

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Addressing health equity

Moving from Zimbabwe to Minnesota gave Fadzai Manungo eye-opening insights into health equity.
 

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Community power

In 2009 an ambitious health and wellness initiative launched in south central Minneapolis. It's driven entirely by the community.

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Her story isn't over yet

In January 2016, Toni Plante's 15-year-old daughter Ana took her own life. Read this article to hear Toni's story and to learn about local suicide prevention resources.

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A tale of two nerds

From a windowless basement office, Urban Landreman and Mei Ding oversee a survey that assesses the unique health issues facing Hennepin County residents.

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Menthol manipulation

Arnetta Philips and others are leading a community campaign to show people that menthol tobacco is harmful -- and that campaign is leading to new legislation.

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The art of connection

Many people have barriers to receiving regular, preventive care. Cheryl Branch, a senior community health worker with Hennepin County Child and Teen Checkups, uses songs, humor, and personal stories to break those barriers. 

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Prostate cancer: a daughter's story

Jeanie was 17 when her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Nine years later, he died from the disease.

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Stealthy Syphilis

This bacterial infection doesn't always cause symptoms -- and it's increasing in broader segments of the population at an unprecedented rate.

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Hoarding Disorder

This misunderstood mental illness affects two to five percent of the population.

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Hope from COPE

Mental health emergencies are never planned. Yet they happen. That’s why COPE exists.

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Anger Management

It can be tough to control. These men are teaching other men how.

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Break the Silence

After a horrific sexual assault, this survivor created a forum for other sexual assault survivors to heal.

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Take the Radon Test

It's invisible and odorless but dangerous. Are you at risk? A simple test will tell you.

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