The women’s sports medicine program at TRIA addresses the unique challenges female athletes face, such as higher rates of ACL injuries and the effects of hormonal changes on training and recovery. Dr. Heather Bergeson emphasizes the importance of comprehensive care and the need for more research to better support female athletes throughout their lives. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Dr. Heather Bergeson HealthPartners website: Off the Charts podcast Got an idea? Have thoug...
Jun 11, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Nicole Wojowski, a registered nurse at Regions Hospital, joins the show to explore the complexities and often misunderstood international adoption process. The discussion delves into myths and misconceptions. Nicole shares her personal experiences as an adoptee and highlights the challenges and triumphs she has faced. The conversation also covers the impact of microaggressions, importance of acknowledging trauma and unique journeys of adoptees. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Gues...
May 11, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 5
A pair of experts with Healthcare for the Homeless share their perspectives working with unsheltered populations and addressing homelessness. Kat Donnelly, a family nurse practitioner with Minnesota Community Care, and Josh Leopold, a senior advisor on health, homelessness and housing for the Minnesota Department of Health, join the show to talk about what’s being done in St. Paul. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guests: Kat Donnelly and Josh Leopold Resources: Minnesota Departmen...
Apr 09, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Xiongmee Chang shares how mentorship and unwavering belief inspired her to accomplish goals and take on roles previously unimagined. The Regions Hospital nurse manager joined the Hmong Nurses Association board of directors in 2024 and helped plan HNA’s second National Nursing Conference after being encouraged by her mentor to attend the first one. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Xiongmee Chang HealthPartners website: Off the Charts podcast Got an idea? Have thoughts to shar...
Mar 11, 2025•25 min•Season 6Ep. 3
It’s possible for patients to receive hospital-level care inside their homes. HealthPartners Hospital@Home director Tia Radant and medical director Dr. Chrisanne Timpe talk about the program’s evolution as “the virtual unit,” which types of patients are ideal candidates for getting acute care at home, and the role community paramedics and other care team members play in treating patients. Producer's note: In this episode, Dr. Chrisanne Timpe says, "The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
Feb 11, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Maxx Enzmann and Zack Nelson, infectious diseases pharmacists and members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at HealthPartners, tell us the top three things everyone should know about antibiotics, what’s misunderstood about them and share how the ASP uses equity as its guiding principle. HealthPartners Antimicrobial Stewardship Program page (only accessible to HealthPartners colleagues) Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Jimmy Bellamy Guests: Maxx Enzmann, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP; and Zack Nels...
Jan 11, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 1
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 , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Steve Sawczyn Steve and the web and mobile digital accessibility team can be reached at accessibility@healthpartners....
Nov 11, 2024•30 min•Season 5Ep. 6
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 color, and goal to empower everyday people to use CPR. She shares why it's important and reminds us that there’s no liability when doing CPR. Hosts: K...
Oct 11, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 5
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-speaking patients with chronic pain. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Sara Hall HealthPartners website: Off the Charts podcast Got ...
Sep 11, 2024•25 min•Season 5Ep. 4
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 HealthPartners website: Off the Charts podcast Got an idea? Have thoughts to share? We want to hear from you. Email us at offthecharts@healthpartners.com ....
Aug 11, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 3
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 shape, create and influence workplace culture to be more inclusive and equitable for colleagues. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest...
Jul 11, 2024•27 min•Season 5Ep. 2
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 Brown, Minneapolis Public Schools mental health manager, outline the prevalence of childhood bereavement and share the C.A.R.E.S. (community, awareness, r...
Jun 11, 2024•30 min•Season 5Ep. 1
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 practitioner Munira MaalimIsaq and senior project manager Greg Fedio, share how the Equity Action Lab project, or what they and participants called "Open Faces...
Dec 26, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 8
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 testing existed. Through myGenetics, she found out she carries the BRCA2 gene mutation that brings a greater risk of breast and ovarian cancers. She’s ...
Nov 27, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 7
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 Minneapolis. She talks about how the youth sports model has changed and anxiety’s impact on today’s young athletes. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven ...
Nov 13, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 6
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 a double life,” and how to be a resource for others. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Kelly Fang HealthPartners website: Off the ...
Oct 16, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 4
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 serves as medical director of HealthPartners Mammography and Regions Breast Health Center , shares her personal and professional experiences with dispari...
Sep 28, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 3
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 director of training and policy implementation at Portico Healthnet , explains the process, barriers to renewal and how people can help. Relevant links: M...
Sep 18, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 2
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 the Charts podcast Got an idea? Have thoughts to share? We want to hear from you. Email us at offthecharts@healthpartners.com ....
Sep 05, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 1
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 season, Dr. Diane Banigo, a certified nurse midwife, and Ciana Cullens, a community relations liaison, join the show to share their experiences as consult...
Jul 10, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 11
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 also discusses belonging, from comfort to connection and contribution. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Natalia Dorf Biderman, MD ...
Apr 17, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 5
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 experiences, especially for patients from non-English-speaking cultures. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Yeng Yang, MD HealthPartners webs...
Apr 03, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 4
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 change, the city’s focus on equity as a pillar, and meeting people at their level of success. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: T...
Mar 20, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 3
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 improved care and understanding. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Anthony Williams, MD HealthPartners website: Off the Charts podcast Go...
Mar 06, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 2
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 through March 4, showcases more than 100 pieces of art and offerings left at George Floyd Square near the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenu...
Feb 17, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 1
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 return soon with Season 3. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Jimmy Bellamy HealthPartners website: Off the Charts podcast YouTube link...
Jan 23, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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 Rondo community as one of eight children, shares how her passion and knack for hair and makeup led her down the path of business owner. LaNoire Brida...
Jan 09, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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 has focused on minority health and improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. She also talks about GIH’s strategic plan focused on health eq...
Dec 26, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 how their team is engaging in a long-term community needs assessment to discover how people are learning to thrive in an environment with myriad issue...
Dec 12, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 mentorship and volunteerism, including nearly 50 years as a basketball coach. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Willie Braziel HealthPartne...
Nov 28, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 5
