Minnesota: Less healthy than last year
Minnesota is now the fourth healthiest state, down from number two last year, and number one in 2002-2006, according to an article in the Star Tribune. One of the reasons for the drop is a reduction in spending on public health. Minnesota spends $45 per person on public health, putting it 43rd in the nation in spending. This is not good news for those of us in public health. The state legislature did approve $47 million for public health programs last year. However, I've heard from some that the money is vulnerable to allocation to other programs, which I think is a distinct possibility, taking budget shortfalls and the economy into account. There are other reasons why Minnesota has fallen in the rankings, you can read the article here.