Minnesota Family Physicians Encourage Patients to Prepare for the Flu Season
November 2, 2006

The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, in conjunction with Operation Minnesota Nice, will be collecting items to include in care packages for men and women serving in the military.  The West Metro Chapter of the Academy will be picking up the cost of the postage to ship the care packages overseas. 

Operation Minnesota Nice is an organization that provides comfort and support to those in the armed forces by coordinating the shipment of care packages to soldiers who may not otherwise receive snacks or other simple necessities from home. 

A group of Minnesota family doctors will be putting together the first round of packages on November 14^th. They will be collecting items for additional care packages through November 30, 2006.  Members of the public are invited to send items to be included in these care packages.  Items can be mailed to: 

 Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians
 Attn. Military Care Packages
 600 South Highway 169, Suite 1680
 St. Louis Park, MN  55426.    
                                                                       
Items can also be dropped off at the Academy office during regular business hours. (We are located on the 16^th floor of the Interchange Tower off of Hwy. 169 and Hwy. 394.  Suite 1680)

Possible care package items recommended by Operation Minnesota Nice include:

• Prepaid phone cards, batteries and disposable cameras

• CDs, books, travel-size games and decks of cards

• Pop tarts, granola bars, and beef jerky

• Hard candy, Tootsie Rolls, Twizzlers, and packages of gum

• Travel size toothpaste, dental floss, Q-tips , tissues, baby wipes, lip balm and hand lotion

A complete of recommended items is available here.

 

The MAFP is a professional association of approximately 3,000 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students organized to assist family physicians in providing quality medical care in Minnesota.  The MAFP is the largest medical specialty organization in Minnesota.