The Vikings could not afford Dalvin Cook because the league regards running backs as interchangeable and short-term employees. Plus the indefensible salary paid to immobile Kirk Cousins does not help. They have to figure out how to pay Justin Jefferson and Danielle Hunter will be never report at an annual salary 10 million dollars less than he can get at numerous other places. I am not convinced they are committed to winning, just making money.
This isn’t science fiction; it’s how rural medicine is already evolving. Duluth could simply be the first to turn it into curriculum — a digital rural residency, training doctors to serve wider geographies with smarter tools.
If the nation is wise enough to listen north, it will find the answers waiting. Because up here, health care isn’t just a profession. It’s a promise. And we keep our promises close to home.
If Washington has the humility to learn from Dr. Herman and Essentia's story, it might just rediscover what leadership in health care looks like — steady, patient, and powered by people who measure progress one healed life at a time.
Nationally, analysts note that Duluth’s homegrown health system has achieved what many academic centers still struggle with: integrating digital health records, preventive outreach, and local trust into a cohesive care network.
