This report summarizes the processes and accomplishments of an initial Planning Phase for the Minnesota Health System Implementation Core, an initiative developed and organized by the Minnesota Electronic Health Record Consortium (MNEHRC). This work was funded by the Minnesota Department of Health with a program award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MN EHRC healthcare systems were invited to establish an Implementation Core. The goal of the Implementation Core is to collaboratively expedite the translation of evidence-based interventions into everyday practice across health systems in Minnesota to improve community health. As part of its strategy to achieve this, the Implementation Core will use and act on the robust data generated through the MNEHRC’s most ambitious project to date, Health Trends Across Communities in Minnesota (HTAC). HTAC uses timely and granular information from electronic health records on chronic disease, substance use, mental health, infectious disease, and socio- and environmental-health issues to enhance the information available to health professionals, organizations, policymakers, and community members in Minnesota.
The Implementation Core is inspired by a community-of-solution approach and is guided by principles and practices of organizational and community engagement. We seek to use the experience of researchers, frontline clinicians, operational leaders, public health professionals, local organizations, and other people working to improve health in their local communities to inform and guide this work. The Implementation Core aims to foster long-term collaboration over multiple projects. Its spirit is that of learning – from literature, others, and each other.