skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. strikes did not destroy Iran nuclear program, says Pentagon assessment; Dems join GOP to kill vote impeaching Trump over Iran strikes; Health gaps persist for American Indian, Alaska Native Coloradans; Alternative payment models better for WA patients, providers; New CT law ends election agency's independence.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Some members of Congress are upset about lack of transparency on Iran policy, but House Speaker questions constitutionality of War Powers Resolution, and Fed Chair explains why interest rates aren't being cut.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Giant data centers powering artificial intelligence want cheap rural land but some communities are pushing back, Hurricane Helene mobilized a North Carolina town in unexpected ways, and Cherokee potters make ceramics that honor multiple generations.

Grants Emerge for Families Who Lost Healthcare Workers to COVID

play audio
Play

Friday, February 19, 2021   

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Healthcare workers have often been called heroes during the pandemic, but their advocates say the sentiment can be quickly forgotten by the public - including in some cases, their deaths. A Minnesota organization is honoring their sacrifice by helping their families.

With the help of infectious-disease expert and Professor Michael Osterholm, the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation recently launched the Frontline Families Fund.

It provides emergency grants and scholarships to families of healthcare workers who have died from COVID-19. Jeremy Wells, senior vice-president of philanthropic services with the foundation, said the fund is designed for situations in which the person didn't leave behind a lot of wealth.

"Let's say they were a nursing aide or something that's not a highly paid profession," said Wells, "versus a physician that passed, you know, who had a $5 or $10 million life-insurance policy."

There are two phases for the grants: One provides $15,000 for funeral costs. The second round funds up to $60,000 for long-term expenses.

They're administered by the separate Brave of Heart Fund, which was established with the same mission.

Publications including Kaiser Health News estimate that more than 3,000 U.S. healthcare workers have died from COVID.

Osterholm said despite positive news of declining cases in Minnesota and elsewhere, he predicts the pace of vaccinations won't keep up with the spread of new COVID variants, which creates new daily threats for healthcare workers.

"I think the challenge we have today is just, you know, letting healthcare workers know that if they're coming to work putting their life on the line," said Osterholm, "that we are going to do what we can to take care of their families if something happens to them."

Osterholm - the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota - added that the U.S. healthcare system needs to be mindful of the long-term effects for workers still on the frontlines.

He said the care they've provided has taken a toll, including on their mental health.

"Many of them have been really challenged with the long hours," said Osterholm, "the number of deaths that they've had to deal with, the serious illnesses."

The foundation says a key component of its effort is to elevate discussion and resources for healthcare workers and families in the racial groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Disclosure: The Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Education, Health Issues, Human Rights/Racial Justice, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Arkansas' ballot initiative process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments and collect signatures to place the proposals on a ballot. League members say bills passed by lawmakers have taken those rights away. (edbockstock/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Members of the League of Women Voters-Arkansas are collecting signatures to add a constitutional amendment to the November 2026 ballot. The …


Social Issues

play sound

Ohio union and clean energy leaders are urging their U.S. Senators to reject a sweeping reconciliation bill they said would devastate families and …

Social Issues

play sound

American Indian and Alaska Native communities in Colorado continue to face significant gaps in health care access, quality and outcomes, according to …


Environment

play sound

Minnesotans are cooling off after last weekend's extreme heat but communities bearing the brunt of environmental injustice said there will be more cli…

The cost of care for dementia patients varies widely by state. At $55,000 per year, care for patients in California is slightly more expensive than the national average.(Ocskay Bence/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

In California, families shoulder most of the burden of dementia care, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Washington found …

Social Issues

play sound

Ho-Chunk has kicked off its summer internship program in Nebraska after sifting through 600 applicants. It is opening pathways to higher education …

Social Issues

play sound

Six Michigan projects have been awarded funding through AARP's largest-ever Community Challenge grant, aimed at making communities more livable…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021