HealthPartners

02/05/2026

We invite you to join us on May 11 for an evening that explores what it means to grow up in an always‑connected world. Award‑winning mental health advocate and digital storyteller Alyxandria Ang will share how achievement culture, social media and algorithms shape youth identity and mental health.

You’ll also hear directly from HealthPartners Teen Leadership Council members during a teen panel discussion as they share their experiences navigating an always‑on culture.

Attend in person or join us virtually on Zoom.

Go to https://bit.ly/4urOMpQ for more information or to register.

01/05/2026

We’re wearing green this month for Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a simple reminder to check in on each other.

Our President and CEO Andrea Walsh is wearing green because in the U.S., 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 adolescents experience a mental illness each year.

We’re working to reduce stigma. Through our Make It OK campaign, we’re helping people feel more comfortable talking about mental health and encouraging open conversations in our communities.

Get involved at https://makeitok.org/

Supporting mental health is part of how we care for our patients and members every day, not just in May.

30/04/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of therapy is getting started. Especially for teenagers.

Amy Orecchia, Ph.D., is part of the Child and Family Mental Health team, and she understands that. She meets young people where they are, with openness and a willingness to listen.

Whether she’s providing therapy, supporting families or working in schools, her goal is to help every young person feel heard and supported.

Through programs like No Obstacles to Well-Being (NOW!), Amy helps bring mental health care directly to students who may face barriers to getting help. She also connects with patients in Spanish when needed, helping create a more comfortable and inclusive space for care.

Amy is a partner for good and she knows trust takes time. By opening up conversations and creating a safe place to talk, she helps teenagers take that first step.

Feeling understood can be the first step toward healing.

28/04/2026

When Trina first got the call from Marry Vuong at Perfecting Peds, she wasn’t sure what to think.

A pharmacist offered to help manage her daughter Ileana’s medications, with costs completely covered by her HealthPartners health plan. It felt unexpected. But that call introduced her to something that would become an essential part of Ileana’s care through medication therapy management (MTM) with our partner, Perfecting Peds.

Ileana, 16, has complex health needs that require coordination across multiple specialists. Having a dedicated clinical pharmacist helped ensure her medications were safe, effective and working together the way they should.

“Marry is really, really good at monitoring her meds,” Trina says. “She’s like a miracle worker.”

That support made such a difference that when coverage changes meant leaving HealthPartners, Trina made a decision. She came back during open enrollment specifically to keep that care in place.

“It takes a village,” she says. “And having someone like Marry on our team just makes everything easier.”

Stories like this remind us what personalized care really looks like, and why it matters.

27/04/2026

HealthPartners started in 1957, when Group Health opened Como Clinic in St. Paul. Our innovative, integrated model combining health care and insurance coverage was born and remains in place today.

We’re excited to build on that legacy of service as we enter the design and construction phase of a new HealthPartners Como Clinic, which will be located across the street, on the 2500-block of Como Avenue.

The new clinic will offer expanded services for patients, including primary care, urgent care, pediatrics, dentistry and cardiology. In addition, we’ll introduce a new TRIA Orthopedics Clinic and Urgent Care, endocrinology and OBGYN services. Advanced CT and MRI capabilities will also be added, allowing one of the busiest urgent care sites in the east metro to offer more on-site care.

“Our commitment to the city of St. Paul and this tight-knit community is as strong as ever, and we’re thrilled to serve even more patients with comprehensive, convenient care.” said Andrea Walsh, president and CEO of HealthPartners. “By expanding our services and capacity, we’re making it easier for families to get the care they need close to home.”

Construction on the new clinic is expected to begin this summer. The current clinic will remain open throughout construction with the new clinic scheduled to open in Fall 2027.

24/04/2026

When you walk through the doors at Regions Hospital, you deserve to feel safe, welcomed and cared for.

That’s what guides Jeff Loeks, manager of guest services at Regions. Over the years, Jeff has served in many roles across the hospital, each one deepening his understanding of what patients and families need most.

Jeff believes small moments matter. A warm greeting. A reassuring word. A note of encouragement. He once wrote a message to a young patient, thanking him for the light he brought to others. After the patient passed, his family kept that note as a lasting reminder of compassion.

Jeff is a partner for good, and for him kindness is not an extra. It is the work.

And because of him, every person who walks through our doors can feel it.

23/04/2026

Getting more information on your genetic history helps you tell the story of who you are and pass down that knowledge to future generations. HealthPartners internist and pediatrician Dr. Yang joined the myGenetics study so she could tell her daughter the story of her genetics as part of Minnesota’s vibrant Hmong community.

Get a better understanding of your genetic health risks, so you can plan for a healthier future. Available now at no-cost.

22/04/2026

It might feel like a new language, but once you know common health insurance terms, you can make the most of your health plan.

Health insurance language leaving you confused? HealthPartners is here with clear and simple definitions to commonly used terms and abbreviations.

20/04/2026

At our Institute, we’re proud to be a part of a nationwide effort to understand and prevent cancer.

For Jeanette Ziegenfuss, director of survey and evaluation science and site principal investigator for the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study, this work is deeply personal.

Since 2017, Jeanette has guided the HealthPartners site, collaborating with the National Cancer Institute and nine other health care systems throughout the country. She’s also a proud participant in the study, alongside her husband.

Jeanette has witnessed firsthand the heartbreak and impact of cancer, through the loss of too many loved ones – beloved aunts, uncles and family friends. “It’s very meaningful to contribute to this field and be part of the discovery,” she says. “As I do the work, I’m actively honoring my family that’s no longer with us.”

Joining the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study is simple. Participants must receive health care from one of the participating sites, be between 30 and 70 years old and have never had cancer. Over years, participants contribute data through health surveys and biological samples as well as through their electronic health records.

Jeanette shares her gratitude for the over 15,000 HealthPartners patients that have joined Connect since HealthPartners started recruitment in 2021 and hopes many more continue to make this choice.

“It is important to have Connect participants reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve,” shares Jeanette. “The insights that are gained will help advance cancer prevention and make discoveries that are relevant to all.”

Visit the website to learn more about the study and to find out if it’s right for you: cancer.gov/connectstudy

19/04/2026

Our colleagues aren’t just great at what they do for our patients and members, they’re also invaluable as volunteers in our community.

People like Brent Schneider, who never passes up an opportunity to help out at events like Pride, Twin Cities Marathon or building dressers for Bridging.

Brent loves making a difference in people’s lives and he loves meeting new people. “I’ve learned that some of the most amazing help you can give someone is just that little piece of information they’ve been looking for, or a kind word,” he says. “And that can completely turn around someone’s day and really start them on a good path forward.”

Thanks to Brent and all our colleagues who are partners for good in our community.

18/04/2026

Our Institute is celebrating another year of progress in research and education. HealthPartners Institute 2025 Highlights reflects our dedication in connecting research, education and community partnerships to improve health and well-being.

Every story shared in our Institute Highlights report is a testament to how we’re making a difference:

✦Research that is improving and informing care

✦Educating the next generation of clinicians

✦Advanced training for current health care professionals

✦Partnerships to address community health needs

To learn more, visit our website and explore the ways the Institute is making a lasting impact: https://bit.ly/41HIVjL

17/04/2026

When a baby needs a little more care, staying close to family can make all the difference.

At Hudson Hospital & Clinic, Kathryn Mercado helped create an enhanced care nursery designed to do just that, supporting newborns who need extra attention while keeping families together in their own community.

Her passion for this work is deeply personal. After experiencing the stress of being separated from her own premature baby, Kathryn set out to make that journey easier for other families.

Today, she leads a team focused on providing advanced care with compassion, so parents can be present.

Every newborn deserves the best possible start, and in Kathryn, families have a partner for good.