Walz Appoints 12 to ‘Academic Health’ Task Force
Facing persistent health care worker shortages across Minnesota, the Walz administration on Thursday announced a slate of new appointments to a task force designed to improve education for medical professionals of the future.
Formally known as the “Task Force on Academic Health at the University of Minnesota,” the group comprises 14 members in total, plus two special advisers. Former Govs. Tim Pawlenty and Mark Dayton are serving as special advisers. Walz picked 12 of the members, while the Minnesota Senate and House each appointed two legislators to the group.
The task force members are:
- Dr. Jakub Tolar, a professor at the U of M’s Medical School
- Dr. Penny Wheeler, former president and CEO of Allina Health System
- Dr. David Herman, CEO of Duluth-based Essentia Health
- Dr. Meghan Walsh, chief academic officer with Hennepin Healthcare
- Pahoua Hoffman, senior VP of government and community relations at HealthPartners
- Dr. Julia Joseph-Di Caprio, president and founder of Leap Pediatric and Adolescent Care
- Brenda Hilbrich, executive VP with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa
- Connie Delaney, dean of the U of M’s School of Nursing
- Barbara Joers, president and CEO of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
- Vance Opperman, CEO and owner of TCB parent company MSP Communications and former chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota board
- Carol Backstrom, assistant commissioner of the health systems bureau with the Minnesota Department of Health
- Dennis Olson, commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education
- Minnesota Sen. Melissa Wiklund
- Minnesota Rep. Tina Liebling
All the members’ terms officially begin Sept. 26 and end June 1, 2024. The group is slated to meet at least two times a month, and will meet for the first time on Oct. 5 in the Minnesota Senate Building.
The group’s responsibility, in part, is to “identify options for potential public funding of academic health.” Task members are also asked to “center primary care.”
