Minnesota Health System Implementation Core June 2024 Progress Report

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. 

Case Study About MNEHRC

The MN EHR Consortium joined the Common Health Coalition in October 2024. The Coalition recently released a case study about the MN EHRC which highlights our data-driven collaboration and how we are breaking down data sharing barriers in Minnesota.

Report Released Describing the Impact of the 2021 Telehealth Act Available

A newly released report by MDH’s Health Economics Program (HEP) describes the impact of the 2021 Minnesota Telehealth Act (Laws of Minnesota 2021, chapter 7, article 6), which expanded access to telehealth in Minnesota and extended payment parity to include audio-only telehealth visits. The report recommends supporting the broad availability and use of telehealth as a tool to deliver health care services and summarizes findings on health care access, quality and outcomes, satisfaction, costs, and equity. It includes nine recommendations for continuing and strengthening the availability and accessibility of telehealth in Minnesota.

The MN Electronic Health Records Consortium contributed Supplement B to the report. It uses electronic health record data to analyze outpatient use of telehealth and prevalence of audio-only and audio-visual telehealth use from 2018 to 2022, as well as telehealth's impact on quality of care.

The report and its supplements are available at Minnesota Study of Telehealth Publications - MN Dept. of Health (state.mn.us).

Disparities in Minnesota's COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Report Webinar Slides Now Available

On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, Dr. Tyler Winkelman (HHRI, MN EHRC) and Colin Planalp (SHADAC) presented a webinar about the Disparities in Minnesota's COVID-19 Vaccination Rates report released earlier this year. Slides from the webinar are now available to view online.  

MN EHRC Denominator and Population Comparison Report Now Available

A report describing the MN EHR Consortium's comparison of two different population estimates and their impacts on denominators is now available. 

Disparities in Minnesota's COVID-19 Vaccinations Rates Report Released

The Disparities in Minnesota's COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Report is now available online. 
 

Press Release From Hennepin Healthcare About Substance Involved Emergency and Hospital Visits in Hennepin County Dashboard Now Available

A press release co-written by Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County about the Substance Involved Emergency and Hospital Visits in Hennepin County dashboard is now available online. 

Hennepin County Substance Involved Emergency Department (ED) and Hospital Visits Dashboard Now Avaliable

The Substance Involved Emergency Department and Hospital Visits Dashboard is now available to view online. The dashboard is produced by Hennepin County in collaboration with the MN EHR Consortium. 

2022 AIM Bull’s Eye Award

The MN Department of Health was awarded the 2022 Association of Immunization Managers Bull’s Eye Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization for their COVID-19 vaccine work with the MN EHR Consortium.

Manuscript Publication

The manuscript “COVID-19 Vaccination of People Experiencing Homelessness and Incarceration in Minnesota” based on our COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Project was published in Health Affairs.

Media Mention

The Star Tribune published the article “Homeless and Incarcerated Minnesotans Struggles to Get COVID-19 Vaccines” based on our recent manuscript publication focusing on COVID-19 vaccine uptake among people experiencing homelessness and incarceration in Minnesota.