Minnesota e-Health Initiative “…accelerate use of HIT to improve quality, increase safety,
reduce costs and enable informed decisions.”
Private-Public collaboration Guided by an advisory
committee Comprehensive vision Consumer and community
focus Inclusive scope: healthcare,
long term care, public health, academia and other settings
- Newt Gingrich
“Paper Kills”
Motivation: Patient Safety
… inherent safety threats exist when relying on paper.
Recommendations: Four Focus Areas, 17 Priority Projects
Empower Consumers Accelerate the availability and use of accessible, portable “My
Personal Health Record.”
Inform and Connect Healthcare Workers Fund and implement interconnected health information technology
statewide, focusing on secure health information exchange.
Protect Communities Improve population health and protect communities through
accessible prevention resources, widespread knowledge of community risks, and rapid detection of and response to public health threats.
Provide Infrastructure Ensure the e-Health vision and mission are fulfilled.
Examples of Some 45 Projects Emerging Statewide
Personal Health Records• Fairview• HealthPartners• Children’s
Exchange Projects • MnHCC – Statewide coordination
• CHIC/SISU – Northeast MN
• Shared Abstract: (AHRQ grant)
• MIIC – Immunization registry
• Medications – e-prescribing through the HIPAA Collaborative
• Winona community exchange project
• Itasca County Health Network
• HIT-based Regional Medication Mgmt Pharmacy System
Telehealth• University of MN
Informatics Education• St. Scholastica• University of MN
Public Health
• MN Public Health Information Network
Approach: Leadership Role for State Government
Convene stakeholders as a neutral party Facilitate statewide, public-private planning Create the climate, expectations and forum in
which all leaders can contribute. Encourage adoption and use of standards Measure/assess use of HIT, quality and safety Leverage funding opportunities to fill gaps and
build in sustainability Ensure readiness for emergency preparedness
and response
Actions You and Your Organization Can Take Now
Increase readiness for information exchange Identify & participate in community/regional
exchange collaboration Increase health informatics knowledge &
educationSupport informatics research and evaluation Inform your elected representatives on your
needs on this issueHelp shape your state
and national directions
Thank You
Web ResourcesReports and
policy Directory of
projectsShared tools
and templates
Minnesota e-Health Initiativewww.health.state.mn.us/e-health