‘Health’ Archives
CUHCC Constructing a New Building; Remains Open to Patients
By ROLI DWIVEDI, MD, CEO Starting in April, neighborhood residents will see major changes on the corner of Bloomington Ave and Franklin as the University of Minnesota begins construction on a new, state-of-the-art clinic building for the Community-University Health Care Center. The new CUHCC will have two stories, be nearly twice as big, and include new services such as physical therapy and imaging. Its new, onsite pharmacy will allow patients to fill their prescriptions after their medical, dental, or mental health appointment, adding to the clinic’s one-stop shop service model. Original CUHCC building. SOURCE: CUHCC A community institution for 60 yearsIn addition to work beginning on the new building, 2026 also marks CUHCC’s 60th Anniversary. Started by two UMN Pediatricians and the Minneapolis Health Department in 1966, CUHCC first operated out of a small apartment building built in the 1800s. It lacked an elevator and air conditioning. The University constructed its [...]
A Simple Test Could Save Your Life: Get Screened for Colon Cancer
By Dr. LAN LUU, Co-Medical Director of Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC) Colon cancer happens when abnormal cells grow in your colon or rectum (the lower parts of the belly). Colon cancer is rising among people younger than 50 years-old. Luckily, if it is caught early, colon cancer is treatable. For these reasons, it is recommended that everyone starts screening for colon cancer at 45 years-old. There are generally three options offered to patients: The FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) detects blood in a small sample of stool (poop). Healthcare clinics give patients a test kit and instructions. YouTube has videos in many languages to help. Patients then mail the kit back to their clinic. This test should be taken every year. Cologuard is also a stool test. It detects abnormal cells through DNA. Medical providers order a kit that is mailed to your home. After collecting the stool, you return the kit in a pre-paid box. This test should be taken every three [...]
A Culturally Grounded Approach
By GREGG HARRISON, Vice President of Clinic Administration at NACC South Minneapolis is facing a persistent crisis: opioid addiction and homelessness often go hand in hand. Many in our community live without housing because of addiction, and this is not new. These challenges stretch back generations, rooted in broken treaties, land theft, boarding schools, and other traumas that stripped Native people of family, culture, and place. The 1950s “relocation” policy, aimed at uprooting Native Americans from reservations and assimilating them into cities, further isolated families, disrupted traditions, and laid the foundation for today’s struggles. You can see the roots of our current crisis in these failed policies. Since opening our doors in 2003, we at the Native American Community Clinic (NACC) have worked to address these harms, guided by an understanding of history and a belief in culture as medicine. This perspective shapes how we respond to today’s crisis. We began [...]
