Resources for Reporters
If you are a reporter seeking information from the Minnesota Department of Health, the best place to start is with one of the department's information officers, listed below. They, like you, have certain "beats," and can get you the information you need or arrange an interview with a professional expert in the department.
Use the following alphabetized list of public health topics to connect with the information officer who can assist you. If you don't see a topic listed below, or you're still not sure whom to contact, please call the MDH Communications Office at 651-201-4989. Also see information officer assignments by division.
Topic | Information Officer | Phone number |
---|---|---|
AIDS/STD prevention | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Air cleaners | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Air, indoor | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Alcohol and other drugs | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Asbestos | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Assisted living | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Asthma | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Audiologists | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Background checks (nursing homes) | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Beaches | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Bicycle helmets | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Birth and death certificates and related data | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Breast/cervical cancer | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Breastfeeding | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Budget | Andrea Ahneman | 651-201-5195 |
Campgrounds (health issues relating to) | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Cancer | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Carbon dioxide/monoxide | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Chemical exposure | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Child health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Children's camps | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Children with special health needs | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Commissioner's Office | Andrea Ahneman | 651-201-5195 |
Community health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
COVID-19 | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Contaminants, environmental | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Crematoriums | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Cryptosporidium | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Death certificates and related data | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Dental health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Diabetes | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Disease prevention and control | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Disparities in health status | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Drinking water | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Ebola | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Education loan forgiveness programs | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Emergency preparedness | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Environmental health | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Epidemiology | 651-201-4993 651-392-1097 | |
Facility and provider compliance | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Family health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Family planning | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Fetal alcohol syndrome | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Fish, safety of eating | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Fleas, lice | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Flu and flu shots | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Food, beverage and lodging establishments | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Food poisoning | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Food safety | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Foreign travel immunizations | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Formaldehyde | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Freedom to Breathe | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Funeral homes and morticians | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Genetic/hereditary disease | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Groundwater | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Hazardous waste | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Health care facilities complaints, licensing | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Health economics | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Health insurance consumer information | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Health occupations | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Health professional shortages | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Health reform | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Health regulation | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Health statistics | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Hearing instrument dispensers | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
High blood pressure | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
HMO complaints | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Home health care complaints | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Home health care licensing | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Hospital complaints | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Immunizations/vaccinations | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Infant and child care | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Influenza | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Injury | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Laboratories, public health | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Lead | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Legislative initiatives | Andrea Ahneman | 651-201-5195 |
Lice, fleas, ticks | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Lyme disease | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Mammograms | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Managed care | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Maternal and child health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Measles, mumps | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Mental health practitioners, unlicensed | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Minority health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Mold/moisture | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Mortuary science | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Newborn screening | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Nursing assistant registry | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Nursing facilities | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Nutrition | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Obesity | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Occupational therapists | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Opioids | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Patient's Bill of Rights | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Public health emergencies | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Public health laboratory | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Rabies | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Radiation | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Radon | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Refugee health | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Rural health | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
School cafeterias | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
School health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Septic tanks/sewage | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Sexual violence | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Sexually transmitted diseases | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Speech language pathologists | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Smoking - prevention | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Smoking - indoor air | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Swimming pools | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Tobacco use | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Travel immunizations | Danielle Ryan | 651-392-1097 |
Tuberculosis | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Uncompensated (charity) care | Garry Bowman | 651-529-5164 |
Venereal diseases | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Violence | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Vision and hearing | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
Water safety | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Wellhead protection | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
X-ray machines | Amy Barrett | 651-201-4993 |
Last Updated: 07/02/2024