THE ARCHIVE
If Hennepin fails, it’s not just a county left behind. It’s every county watching, knowing this is a glimpse of its own future. Fentanyl doesn’t care about ZIP codes. Neither does a gun in the wrong hands. The time to coordinate isn’t after the obituary runs — it’s now.
Telehealth, Dr. David Herman insists, is not a shortcut but a lifeline. The proof is already visible: fewer hospitalizations, lower costs, and improved patient outcomes. What’s missing is the will — and the infrastructure — to finish the job. “Broadband is the new stethoscope,” Herman said.
The Star Tribune, founded 158 years ago, is Minnesota’s largest news organization and has earned seven Pulitzer Prizes. Its parent company describes its mission as “building the leading model for local news in America.”
The next era of rural health depends on designing systems that reward results rather than codes, that measure well-being rather than billing.
We headed down to the bridge for what we called a “feasibility study.” Translation: three guys staring at the water with thermoses. “Looks cold enough to me,” Dale said. “Yep,” Roger nodded. “Perfect for servers.”
The truth is, rural health care isn’t dying—it’s evolving into something the rest of us can barely afford to witness. The doctors are trying, the nurses are saints, but the paperwork alone could clog an artery. Somewhere along the line, healing became a subscription service.
They say Herb Brooks was a visionary. Fine. But every visionary needs a translator, and that was John. Herb trusted him enough to actually talk — which, if you knew Herb, tells you everything.
