As the year draws to an end, a lot of us are likely reviewing it – what went well for us, what didn’t, what we accomplished and what we wish we’d accomplished. For me, part of looking back is looking at the topics I was able to cover . In no particular order, here’s some health stories I’m looking back at as we leave 2024:
A ride-along in ‘Thrivey,’ part of Twin Cities harm reduction efforts serving those experiencing homelessness
There are times when you have to get details secondhand from people over the phone or through virtual interviews, but real shoe-leather reporting is always going to hold value. So when the Aliveness Project invited me onto Thrivey to see their harm reduction work in action, I jumped at the chance. Though I left some details of those visiting the van out of the story for their privacy, the stories I was able to gather from staff and volunteers had insights both from working in harm reduction and from lived experience.
Unraveling election misinformation on gender-affirming care, kids and Minnesota’s law
Part of being a journalist today and in the past is combatting misinformation and disinformation – a lot of which was being spread in the case of gender-affirming health care. For this article I identified myths about gender-affirming care and interviewed medical professionals and advocates to get at the truth of how this care actually works.
How therapists are helping marginalized communities cope when identity politics flood the airwaves
It’s become almost trite now to say that “mental health matters”, but at its core, it’s still a message I agree with. It was certainly the case for myself and many others during the tension of this election cycle – especially when they were affected by rhetoric about their identities coming from the Trump campaign.
Rainbow Health was as much life care as it was health care for LGBTQ+ community
The sudden closure of Rainbow Health in July left their clients without access to health care and essential services, and was reported on by multiple outlets. My own contribution linked above took a thorough look at the closure’s impact and what was going to happen next for providers and patients.
North Minneapolis nonprofit Appetite for Change publishes cookbook
Food insecurity and nutrition were a central issue this year in my health coverage – from the article above on Appetite for Change’s cookbook to how food insecurity may lead to eating disorders and how data analysis can provide new insights for food shelves. Not surprising, given that we all have to eat to live.
The Black church can play a role in improving health outcomes
Throughout the year, I attended a couple different health events, but one of the most memorable in many ways was the Balm in Gilead’s Roadmap Tour stop at the Capri Theatre in June. The variety of presentations on various aspects of health, along with the emphasis on self-advocacy and reaching out to community members were, in this reporter’s opinion, very impactful.
Twin Cities residents push for environmental justice; combatting the effects of environmental racism
This is one of my earliest articles at MinnPost, but was something I was drawn to cover because (as I’ll tell anyone) health is impacted by everything around us, including where we live. As I spoke with people and did my research – on the HERC, Smith Foundry, the destruction of Rondo and the arsenic in Hiawatha Avenue – that idea only solidified. I also was able to speak with students at Macalester College about this particular article and share my insights as a health reporter – a conversation that I hope was valuable to them.
It’s not just puppy love: The important bond between humans and pets
Last for now, but not least, I had the opportunity to write about pets and their impact on our health and wellbeing – something suggested by my editor Harry Colbert Jr., who, like myself, shares his home with an animal (though I will say his dog, Cruz and my cat, Apollo have somewhat significant differences!).
There are so many other stories I’ve done that I’m proud of, but I thought I’d keep it to health right now, since that’s my primary beat. Throughout my work at MinnPost this year, the one thing I’ve always kept in mind is to not take for granted the trust people have placed in me. While it’s not really for me to say if I’ve been successful there, it’s something I’m going to keep telling myself as I move into 2025. I’ll see you there, and happy holidays!
Deanna Pistono
Deanna Pistono is MinnPost’s Race & Health Equity fellow. Follow her on Twitter @deannapistono or email her at dpistono@minnpost.com.
