Join host Anthony Gardner for the inaugural broadcast of 1,000 Conversations, a podcast series from CentraCare and the Center for Economic Inclusion, featuring conversations with diverse Central, Southwest, and West Central Minnesota residents on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our guests have committed their life’s work to building community partnerships that engage and celebrate individuals and entire communities that have experienced inequity in our society. Both guests, Dr. Sangeeta Jha and Emmanuel Oppong, have compelling stories and unique insights on what it means to be an immigrant in Minnesota.

In this episode, host Anthony Gardner talks with Eric Olson, superintendent of Monticello Public Schools.

Eric's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is reflected in the work he does every day, understanding the different needs of the diverse families in Monticello, Minnesota, and taking action to ensure all students are seen and heard. Children are not “at risk” for Eric — they’re “at promise.”

Learn about how he's fostered an environment of inclusivity and support – and the challenges the district still has to navigate.

In this episode, host Anthony Gardner talks with three Willmar community leaders: Somali native Abdirizak (Zack) Mahboub, President, West Central Interpreting & Consulting Services; Sara Carlson, Executive Director, Willmar Area Community Foundation; and Ken Warner, President, Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.

Through a shared commitment to community, diversity, equity and inclusion, learn how Zack, Sara, Ken and their organizations have partnered to make Willmar a more equitable and inclusive place to live and a leading example of progress in the state.

While a percentage of graduating physicians choose to practice medicine at large urban-based hospitals and institutions, the need for local, quality healthcare in rural communities remains high. Thankfully, there are doctors coming into practice like today’s guests – family medicine physicians Cybill Oragwu, M.D. and L.J. McIntosh, M.D. – who wanted a different experience and one that only a small town could offer. Being immigrants and physicians of color in a white rural community, however, came with new layers of challenges and opportunities.

Listen in as host Anthony Gardner interviews Dr. Oragwu and Dr. McIntosh about how their journeys from Nigeria and The Bahamas, respectively, to medical school and residencies in the United States, led them to Long Prairie, Minn. Both doctors are delivering a full spectrum of care from newborns to elderly patients, and often care for two or more generations in the same family. These experiences have only deepened their commitment to patient care grounded in trust, inclusion, and belonging.

According to the 2020 Census, Hispanic/Latinx Minnesotans comprise approximately 345,640 or 6.1% of the state’s population. Of this number, 61% speak Spanish exclusively at home. More than simply a daily challenge, language barriers for ESL Minnesotans can be life threatening, especially in medical settings. Enter Johanna Díaz Torres and Elizabeth Quillo, co-founders of VIDA: Vital Interpreting Delivering Access, a Long Prairie, Minn.-based company whose mission is “…to empower and equip the Latin@ community and create equity in wellness through language services and increased access to resources.”

In this episode, host Anthony Gardner talks with Ms. Díaz Torres, a Spanish language medical interpreter and member of the MN Department of Health roster, and Ms. Quillo, a national-level certified medical interpreter for Spanish and nutrition educator at the University of Minnesota. Their shared commitment to connecting people through language to resources for wellness serves as the foundation for VIDA. Their medical interpretation services for non- or limited-English speakers, coupled with their lived experiences -- Díaz Torres is a native Puerto Rican and Quillo is from Ecuador – helps to ensure equity in health and wellness for clients in Long Prairie, Sauk Centre, and greater St. Cloud area.

While comprising approximately 1.1% of Minnesota’s population, data show that American Indians here suffer a disproportionate percentage of disparities in health, income, home ownership, education, and more compared to white Minnesotans. The disparities reflect the painful history of Native tribes in Minnesota and the systemic racism and generational trauma they have experienced.

In this this episode, host Anthony Gardner talks with two leaders within the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Redwood County: Darin Prescott, DNP, MSN, RN, Director of American Indian Health for the Minnesota Department of Health and former clinic CEO of the Lower Sioux Health Care Center, and Larry Swann, Director of the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the Lower Sioux Indian Community. Through access to culture and community, learn how both leaders are working to counteract racial disparities in health, economic well-being, and more, leading to a healthy community and vibrant economy.