Minneapolis, MN

U of M closing nurse practitioner clinc in Minneapolis

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2024

U of M closing nurse practitioner clinc in Minneapolis

The University of Minnesota is shutting down a nurse practitioner clinic in the Downtown East neighborhood that was heralded at its opening for addressing potential shortages in primary care.

Nurse practitioners at the Minneapolis clinic cared for an average of 800 patients per year during nearly a decade of operations, according to Connie White Delaney, dean of the U’s School of Nursing.

The school has provided more than $3 million in operational subsidies since the clinic opened in 2015.

“Despite its positive health outcomes and exceptionally high patient satisfaction scores, the nurse practitioner clinic has not been financially viable,” Delaney said in a statement to the Star Tribune. “The U.S. continues to face a significant shortage of primary care providers … but the financial model to sustain these [nurse-practitioner led] primary care practices has not evolved.”

Health insurance reimbursements at the clinic have been a key problem, the U says. Medicare payments are 15% lower when treatment is provided by nurse practitioners rather than physicians, according to the university.

“Both commercial and government payers reimburse primary care at lower rates than other kinds of care, which creates a built-in financial pressure for clinics that focus on primary care,” Delaney said.

The U Medical School continues to support five community clinics that also receive funding from the state and local health systems — dollars that weren’t available, the university says, for the nurse practitioner clinic.

Last year, the U closed another nurse practitioner-led clinic at its Clinics and Surgery Center building on its East Bank campus.

The Downtown East clinic is scheduled to close Oct. 31.

University of Minnesota Physicians, the medical group for U doctors, is working to find other jobs for clinic staff within the U health system. Patients are being notified and offered help in finding a new clinic location.

The closure comes as the U has been touting its primary care investments while making a broad push to bolster academic health programs including the purchase of University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.

The U’s commitment to primary care was lauded over the past year by a task force on academic health convened by Gov. Tim Walz. The group formulated recommendations for policymakers about funding the U’s training programs during meetings that frequently touched on the university’s goal to reacquire its teaching hospital from Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services.

A final report from the task force noted the challenge for academic health centers to fund primary care training and services, even though primary care is one of the critical areas where access has diminished.

“Minnesota has unrealized potential in its broad health ecosystem to develop innovative models of prevention and care — from community-based to primary care to highly specialized care,” the report said.

“Within that ecosystem, the University of Minnesota has a unique opportunity to use the breadth and strength of its health sciences schools collectively, and maximize collaboration with its schools of design, engineering, law and technology, to design and implement the models of the future.”

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Minneapolis, MN

Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say

Published

11 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say

article

Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.

Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.

READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building

Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery

The set-up:

Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.

A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.

The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”

The robbery:

The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.

They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.

When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.

The shooting:

The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.

The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.

The victim was then found dead.

The aftermath:

Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.

Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.

Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.

The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.

Crime and Public SafetyMinneapolis

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Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike

Published

23 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.

Local reactions to the strike

What we know:

The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.

Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.

The other side:

Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.

Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.

Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall

Why you should care:

A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.

PoliticsMinnesota

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Minneapolis, MN

Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws

AUBURN, CA — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.

A Placer County jury previously found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood, on June 5, 2021, at their home on the lake’s west shore. Wood survived the attack but died a year later.

In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and detailed how Serafini’s crimes had affected the couple’s family members and friends.

“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.

On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.

Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.

In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.

He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.

Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.

Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.

The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.

A left-hander, Serafini was a 1992 first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies, pitching for six MLB teams over seven seasons.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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