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 | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Air cleaners | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Air, indoor | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Asbestos | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Assisted living | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Audiologists | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Background checks (nursing homes) | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Beaches | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Bicycle helmets | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Birth and death certificates and related data | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Breast/cervical cancer | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Breastfeeding | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Budget | Mike Schommer | 651-201-4998 |
| Campgrounds (health issues relating to) | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Cancer control and surveillance | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Cancer - incidence/occurrence statistics | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Cancer - mortality statistics | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Carbon dioxide/monoxide | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Chemical exposure | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Chemical health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Child health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Children's camps | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Children with special health needs | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Commissioner's Office | Mike Schommer | 651-201-4998 |
| Community health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Contaminants, environmental | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Crematoriums | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Cryptosporidium | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Death certificates and related data | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Dental health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Diabetes | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Disease prevention and control | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Disparities in health status | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Drinking water | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Ebola | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Education loan forgiveness programs | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Emergency preparedness | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Environmental health | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Epidemiology | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Facility and Provider Compliance | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| 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 | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Fleas, lice | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Flu and flu shots | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Food, beverage and lodging establishments | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Food poisoning | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Food safety | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Foreign travel immunizations | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Formaldehyde | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Freedom to Breathe | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Funeral homes and morticians | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Genetic/hereditary disease | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Groundwater | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Hazardous waste | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Health care facilities complaints, licensing | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Health economics | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Health insurance consumer information | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Health occupations | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Health professional shortages | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Health reform | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Health statistics | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Hearing instrument dispensers | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| High blood pressure | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| HMO complaints | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Home health care complaints | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Home health care licensing | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Hospital complaints | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Immunizations/vaccinations | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Infant and child care | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Influenza | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Injury | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Laboratories, public health | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Lead | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Legislative initiatives | Mike Schommer | 651-201-4998 |
| Lice, fleas, ticks | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Lyme disease | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Mammograms | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Managed care | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Maternal and child health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Measles, mumps | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Medical Cannabis | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Mental health practitioners, unlicensed | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Minority health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Mold/moisture | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Mortuary science | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Newborn screening | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Nursing assistant registry | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Nursing facilities | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Nutrition | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Occupational therapists | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Patient's Bill of Rights | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Public health emergencies | Mike Schommer | 651-201-4998 |
| Public health laboratory | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Rabies | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Radiation | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Radon | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Refugee health | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Rural health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| School cafeterias | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| School health | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Septic tanks/sewage | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Sexual violence | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Sexually transmitted diseases | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Speech language pathologists | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Smoking - prevention | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Smoking - indoors | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Swimming pools | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Tobacco use | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Travel immunizations | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Tuberculosis | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Uncompensated (charity) care | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Venereal diseases | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Violence | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Vision and hearing | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| Water safety | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| Wellhead protection | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
| WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program | Scott Smith | 651-201-5806 |
| X-ray machines | Doug Schultz | 651-201-4993 |
