Empowered by Data: Raising Awareness on Racial Health Disparities in Minnesota

April 17, 2025

By Ma Xiong, MPH – Vice President, Data Strategy & Analytics

April is a month dedicated to raising awareness of racial and ethnic health disparities and taking action to close the gaps. Minnesota continues to be ranked as the best state in the nation for health care 1 . However, it is also one of the states with some of the largest health disparities between the White population and communities of color 2 . 

MN Community Measurement (MNCM) has been a leader in collecting and analyzing data on Race, Ethnicity, Preferred Language, and Country of Origin (RELC) since 2010. By publicly reporting results on quality measures stratified by RELC, it shines a light on health disparities, equipping community partners with the insights needed to take meaningful action.  

Spotlight on Disparities in Diabetes and Vascular Health 

This April, MNCM is focusing on health disparities in two key areas: Optimal Diabetes Care and Optimal Vascular Care based on data from 2023. 

Optimal Diabetes Care is achieved when five health goals are met: 

  • Controlled blood pressure (<140/90 mmHg) 
  • Statin use as recommended to lower bad cholesterol 
  • Blood sugar under control (A1c <8%) 
  • Tobacco-free status 
  • Use of aspirin as recommended  

Optimal Vascular Care includes four of these same goals, excluding blood sugar control. 

MNCM’s data reveals significant disparities in achieving optimal diabetes and vascular care: 

  • Black, Indigenous, Multi-race, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latinx patients had significantly lower rates of having their diabetes optimally controlled compared to the overall statewide average of 46.3%.    

  • While Asian patients overall exceeded the statewide average, MNCM’s analysis showed that Hmong and Karen language speakers had much lower rates, highlighting the importance of looking beyond broad racial categories.   

  • Black, Indigenous, and Multi-race patients had lower rates of having their vascular disease optimally controlled compared to the overall statewide average of 55.4%. 

Breaking these measures down further, MNCM also reports on the individual components. Tables 1 and 2 show the component rates stratified by race and ethnicity, showing significant gaps. For instance, all racial groups had lower-than-average percentages of diabetes patients achieving A1c levels below 8%. These insights pinpoint where health initiatives can focus to have the greatest impact on helping patients and providers work together to effectively manage health. 

Additional measures stratified by race and ethnicity can be found in our recently released report,  Health Care in Minnesota: Summary Report on Quality, Disparities, and Cost  , and in MNCM’s Statewide Performance Hub .   

Why This Matters 

Minnesota’s population is growing and becoming more diverse. According to the U.S. Census, the state’s diversity index rose from 30.3% in 2010 to 40.5% in 2020 3 . As of 2023, Minnesota is home to 5.8 million residents, with people of color making up about 23% of the population. These communities are growing at a faster rate than the White population, and by 2055, it’s projected that over 2.1 million Minnesotans, or 35% of the population will identify as people of color 4 . 

If racial disparities in health care persist, they will only grow alongside our changing population. That’s why this data matters. It helps shape a more equitable health care system by guiding where resources and attention are most needed. By elevating these disparities and working collaboratively, Minnesota can strive toward a future where health equity is achievable.  

Are you a provider, health plan, or community organization using MNCM data to drive health equity efforts? We’d love to share your story. Reach out to us at support@mncm.org to share your work. 

References: 


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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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