President’s Blog | Together, we can make progress in reducing health disparities.

June 23, 2020

In recent months, we’ve all experienced a lot of things we likely didn’t expect we’d see this year: the emergence of a pandemic that has had devastating effects worldwide, the need for rapid adaptation to new and previously unthinkable ways of doing things (including how health care is delivered), and the shining of a harsh spotlight on the many ways that we live in a society that tolerates and perpetuates pervasive racial inequities.

It’s not news that Minnesota has large health inequities by race and ethnicity, despite its overall high performance on a variety of state-to-state comparisons on indicators of health. For example, since 2015 MNCM has published annual reports that show persistent large disparities in health outcomes for Minnesotans by race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin (our most recent report from May 2020 is here ). MNCM’s comprehensive, statewide data on health care disparities is unique in the nation, which also provides our state with a unique opportunity for progress.

Making these data transparent helps draw attention to the problem, helps highlight where there are “bright spots” and where improvement is most needed, and helps assess whether we’re making progress overall – but it doesn’t directly tackle the problem. For that, MNCM needs partners – people and organizations who are positioned to take this information and use it to motivate, inform, and evaluate improvement initiatives. We know there are many who already do, and it is our hope that many more will do so in the months and years to come. We are committed to working with you in whatever ways we can to drive progress. In particular, we welcome suggestions, comments, or other input on ways to improve or enhance the usefulness of the data we report and/or how we can better support your organization’s efforts.  

This is not a short-term problem or short-term effort – though we are especially concerned right now about disparate impacts of COVID-19 and how the pandemic is likely widening existing disparities in preventive care, mental health, and chronic disease management. Instead, a long and sustained effort across many sectors will be required to make progress. If there is one thing that makes me hopeful, it is that 2020 has already shown us that it’s possible to make big, system-wide changes that previously seemed too difficult. It is time for Minnesota to lead the way in showing how we can make progress on health and other disparities.

Julie Sonier is President and CEO of MN Community Measurement.


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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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