New Report Highlights Minnesota Health Care Disparities

May 6, 2021

Minnesota sees significant variation in health care quality and outcomes by race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin.

A new report from MN Community Measurement (MNCM) documents continued wide disparities in health care quality and outcomes by race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin. The report analyzes data collected by MNCM in 2020 reflecting care provided in 2019 and will serve as a baseline for understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected pre-existing disparities in care.

As an independent nonprofit dedicated to empowering health care decision makers with meaningful data, MNCM is a statewide resource for timely, comparable information on health care costs and quality.

While Minnesota consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation, there continues to be significant variation in health care outcomes across and within certain communities. MNCM’s collection of comprehensive, reliable data on health care quality by race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin is unique and among the most robust in the nation. While data are a first step in understanding and addressing disparities, data alone are not sufficient – as a society we must take action to address inequities, and MNCM works with its partners to make data actionable for driving improvement.

Key Findings:

  • In general, Indigenous/Native, Black, and Hispanic/Latinx patients have significantly lower rates of optimal care compared to the statewide average in most of the reported measures.
  • There is also variation in outcomes by preferred language and country of origin: for most measures, groups with a preferred language other than English have lower rates of optimal care than the statewide average. Similarly, it is often the case that patients born outside of the U.S. have lower rates of optimal care.
  • Within race categories, there is variation by language and country of origin. For example:
    • Black patients whose preferred language is English have lower rates of optimal diabetes care, optimal vascular care, and depression remission at six months compared to Black patients whose primary language is not English.
    • Asian patients whose preferred language is English have higher rates of colorectal cancer screening, optimal diabetes care, optimal asthma control for adults, and adolescent mental health screening compared to their counterparts whose preferred language is not English.
  • Similarly, there are differences within race categories by county of origin. For example, Black patients who were born in the United States have significantly lower rates of optimal care on most measures compared to Black patients born outside the U.S.

“On top of what we know to be large disparities in health outcomes, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit communities of color particularly hard,” said Julie Sonier, MNCM President and CEO. “That makes it more urgent than ever to take action to address health disparities, using data to identify problems, craft solutions, and monitor progress over time.”

The report includes measures of statewide disparities for colorectal cancer screening, optimal diabetes care, optimal vascular care, optimal asthma control, mental health screening for adolescents, and outcomes of depression care for both adults and adolescents.

An appendix to the report presents results by medical group.

About MN Community Measurement

MN Community Measurement is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering health care decision makers with meaningful data to drive improvement. A trusted source of health care data since 2005, MNCM works with doctors, hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, and state agencies to collect, analyze, and report health care data related to quality, cost, and patient experience. Learn more at www.mncm.org.


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October 20, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — October 20, 2026 — MN Community Measurement (MNCM) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Koble-MN's health information exchange (HIE) business line and the MNSHINE brand from The Koble Group. On November 1, MNCM will officially change its legal name to Minnesota Statewide Health Information Network and Exchange, known as MNSHINE. The transition follows a special joint meeting of MNCM's Board of Directors and members on October 12, at which the Board unanimously approved resolutions authorizing the acquisition, changing the organization's legal name, and establishing a new HIE Advisory Committee. Members unanimously adopted the name change and related amendments to the organization's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. An intentional decision to collaborate The transition is the result of an intentional decision by Minnesota health care leaders to collaborate on a health data landscape that makes sense: one that reduces redundancy, increases efficiency, and delivers needed information to those with legal authorization to receive it, where and when it is needed, without unnecessary administrative barriers. "This is not simply a merger of services. It is a deliberate choice to build the kind of health data infrastructure Minnesota deserves," said Liz Cinqueonce, President and CEO of MNCM. "For too long, organizations across our state have had to navigate duplicative systems and disconnected data. By bringing measurement and exchange together, we can reduce that burden and make sure the right information reaches the right people at the right time, with patient privacy protections firmly in place, so they can focus on improving care." The effort builds on months of work by the Executive Leadership Council, convened earlier this year by MNCM, the Minnesota Electronic Health Records Consortium, and Koble to explore how a sustainable, statewide health data utility could serve the public interest. "Minnesota is at its best when we take on difficult challenges together and align on solutions," said Mark Steffen, MD, Chair of the MNCM Board of Directors. "The Board's unanimous support reflects a shared conviction that our future depends on organizations keeping their unique strengths and missions while participating in shared infrastructure and governance. That balance is what enables greater coordination, transparency, efficiency, and impact." A trusted backbone for Minnesota's health data Minnesota's future health data ecosystem is one in which organizations retain their unique strengths and missions while participating in shared infrastructure and governance. The vision for MNSHINE is to become the health data utility, governed in the public interest with strong privacy protections and transparency, that serves as the trusted backbone connecting these efforts, ensuring data can be used more effectively to improve health, wellbeing, and outcomes for all Minnesotans. By bringing the measurement of health care quality, cost, and utilization together with the infrastructure that moves clinical data between organizations, MNSHINE will be positioned to support providers, payers, public health, researchers, policymakers, and communities alike, each within the limits of applicable law and participant agreements. The goal is healthier people, stronger communities, greater equity, better public decisions, smarter investments, and a health system that learns continuously. Continuity for HIE participants HIE services will continue without interruption. To ensure continuity of leadership and relationships, Chad Peterson, CEO of The Koble Group, has joined MNCM as Senior Vice President of HIE Services. “For HIE participants, this transition opens new possibilities,” said Peterson. “When exchange and measurement are guided by one mission, we can reduce duplication for providers and better support care coordination, while holding firm to the privacy protections patients expect. I’m proud to help lead that work, and I’m committed to making sure every participant feels supported as we grow.” MNCM has also established the HIE Advisory Committee as a standing committee of its Board of Directors. The committee continues the work of the Koble-MN Advisory Committee and will advise the Board on interoperability, participant relationships, privacy, security, data governance, and health equity. Jennifer Lamprecht of Sanford Health and Dr. Justine Mrosak of Hennepin Healthcare have been appointed to co-chair the committee, which will include consumer representatives alongside members representing a cross-section of Minnesota's health care community. Protecting patient privacy This transition changes who operates Minnesota's health information exchange. It does not change how patient information is protected or who may access it. MNSHINE will continue to operate in compliance with HIPAA and the Minnesota Health Records Act, which is among the strongest patient-consent laws in the nation, and in compliance with the participant agreements that govern how information is exchanged. Health information exchange and measurement will each remain governed by their own legal and contractual requirements, and bringing them into one organization does not change the purposes for which patient information may be used.
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