Structuring Equity Into Minnesota's COVID-19 Response: Lessons Learned and Future Investments.

Background: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) integrated 3 intentional teams into their novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) response to ensure equity was not lost in the speed of response.

Implementation: These teams-the Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities Branch, Tribal COVID-19 Healthcare Team, and Vaccine Equity Branch were able to reach communities through trusted partners, elevate the voices of communities most impacted, respect tribal sovereignty, establish equity leadership, and set equity goals and metrics.

Lessons Learned: The top-down nature of incident command, combined with pre-COVID-19 systems and structures that impede equity, led to both barriers and opportunities for centering equity in response efforts.

Impact of the Hepatitis Testing and Linkage to Care (HepTLC) Initiative on Linkage to Care for Minnesota Refugees with Hepatitis B, 2012-2014.

Objective: The Hepatitis Testing and Linkage to Care (HepTLC) initiative promoted viral hepatitis B and hepatitis C screening, posttest counseling, and linkage to care at 34 U.S. sites from 2012 to 2014.

Early identification and linkage to care of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus infection--three U.S. sites, 2012-2014.

In the United States, an estimated 0.8-1.4 million persons are living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Health and healing: traditional medicine and the Karen experience.

Objective: To examine the beliefs, attitudes and health-seeking behavior surrounding the use of traditional medicine among the Karen (refugees from Burma).

Methods: Three focus groups and two key-informant interviews were conducted with the Karen along with observations by researchers.

Results: The Karen continue to use elements of their traditional healthcare system after resettling in the U.

Caring for the Karen. A newly arrived refugee group.

Since 2004, Minnesota has seen an influx of refugees from Burma. Many of these newcomers came from the Karen state and spent time in refugee camps in Thailand before resettling in the United States. To better understand the health needs of this population, the authors of this article conducted chart reviews at a St.