Abstract: Online grocery shopping has the potential to improve food accessibility and increase the opportunities for consumers to make nutritious food choices within their household budget. This study investigates the online grocery shopping capabilities of two micropolitan communities in Minnesota. The procedure for collecting data is being developed at this time. A Qualtrics survey was made to ease data entry. The survey has 30 basic questions and 14 questions that repeat for 18 food items. The food items were chosen by Dr. Lisa Harnack based on her expert opinion and using the USDA Thrifty Food Plan as a guide. An Android Galaxy S23 128GB phone will be used to evaluate nutrition and food budget-related features in online grocery shopping apps. There are 17 stores that we are looking into in these micropolitan areas. The stores were selected using the USDA SNAP-approved store locator. All stores within a 5-mile radius of the community were included. To test the procedure we will use an online grocery store app or website for a store that is not available in Worthington or Hutchinson. The duration of how long it takes to complete one survey will be recorded to see if it’s a reasonable length for the time allotted for the study. This test will also allow us to identify changes to the procedure that may improve the accuracy and efficiency of data collection.

Somali American patients have low rates of cancer screening, for all cancers, compared to other ethnic groups and face many barriers to preventive care such as lack of knowledge or understanding, mistrust or fear in Western healthcare systems, and language barriers. Screenings are crucial to help catch cancers at an earlier stage, potentially lowering morbidity rates. In the past, there has been community engagement with the Somali community in Minnesota in addressing breast and cervical cancer disparities, but more could be done to increase engagement for all cancers. There is also a gap in the research about which cancers have the highest frequency among Somali patients in Minnesota. Addressing this gap could help with prioritizing which cancers are most important to address in the community. In this research project, Community Voices of Health is working with members of the Somali community and stakeholders using a multi-pronged approach to help identify interventions and strategies that can help increase cancer screening and prevention. Using BPIC to access health record data, we will assess the frequencies of common cancers among Somali patients within the MHealth system. This information will help guide which interventions are needed to increase cancer screenings in the community. Frequencies of common cancers will be determined for Somali American patients, and compared across other ethnic groups in the MHealth Fairview system. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the findings which are currently pending.

Owning a pet is seen as a luxury only those who can afford veterinary care should experience. But the potential benefits of companion animals, including both mental and physical health, highlight the need for a more accessible veterinary care system that helps financially-limited pet owners care for their pets. One resource veterinary medicine has created to increase financial access is free/low(er)-cost (FLC) veterinary clinics that generally offer neuter/spays, preventative medicine, and vaccinations (and, for some, treatments such as surgery) at an affordable cost. However, there is currently a lack of research centering FLC clinics and the role they have in helping pet owners access veterinary care. This study aims to address this gap by interviewing founders and veterinary professionals within FLC clinics. It focuses on the operational and internal procedures, community outreach programs, and the impact of COVID-19 to begin understanding the challenges and necessities within FLC veterinary clinics. Interim findings have shown a high-quantity, low-cost business model and relationships with medicinal suppliers and shelters keeps most FLC clinics financially stable. And while COVID-19 had a negative impact on their relationship with the community, it had a range of impacts on the care they were able to provide- where most experienced more business than before while only a few lacked medical supplies. The findings begin to highlight the need of FLC clinics within veterinary medicine and the impact of financial constraints on the services they are able to provide.