Encouraging Signs Observed in Depression Care Follow Up and Avoiding Overuse of Antibiotics

February 12, 2020

MN Community Measurement releases 2019 Minnesota Health Care Quality Report 

MINNEAPOLIS – February 12, 2020 – MN Community Measurement, an independent nonprofit organization that empowers health care decision makers with meaningful data to drive improvement, has released its annual report highlighting health care quality measures for medical groups and clinics in Minnesota. 

The “2019 Minnesota Health Care Quality Report” includes data on measures for preventive care, care for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, depression care, and other measures. An appendix to the report includes detailed quality information for 213 medical groups and 948 clinics in Minnesota and neighboring states, and consumers can also search the data using an interactive tool at www.mnhealthscores.org. 

Here are some report highlights: 

Encouraging Signs for Depression Care 

Rates of depression follow-up care, improvement of symptoms, and remission measured at twelve months all increased significantly compared to last year’s report. While there continues to be large opportunity for improvement, it is encouraging that the needle is starting to move on this important issue. The statewide average for the depression follow-up measure improved to nearly 30 percent, although four medical groups (HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics, Essentia Health, Park Nicollet Health Services, and Entira Family Clinics) achieved rates above 50 percent for this measure. 

Two medical groups (HealthPartners Clinics and Park Nicollet Health Services) achieved rates above the statewide average for all eight depression measures included in the report, and an additional four medical groups (Entira Family Clinics, Essentia Health, HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics, and Mankato Clinic) achieved above average rates on seven of the eight measures. 

“The MN Community Measurement report is a powerful illustration of how mental health outcomes are significantly lagging behind physical health,” said Deb Krause, Vice President of the Minnesota Health Action Group. “The Mental Health Guiding Coalition formed by The Action Group is one example of 

how these data will be used to drive collaboration that will identify gaps, disseminate best practices, and drive shared accountability to accelerate improvements in depression care and increase the number of people who are getting better.” 

Avoiding Overuse of Antibiotics 

When someone takes antibiotics that are not medically necessary, it can cause negative side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance, one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health. Fortunately, avoiding antibiotic treatment in adults with acute bronchitis, which is a measure aimed at avoiding overuse of antibiotics, improved from 35.8 percent to 45.5 percent, with gains occurring broadly across many medical groups. 

Medical groups’ performance on this measure ranged from 9.0 percent to 91.6 percent, indicating that there is substantial room for improvement. The highest performing medical groups for this measure were MinuteClinic, Hutchinson Health, Winona Health Services, Park Nicollet Health Services, and HealthPartners Clinics. The largest gains in this measure were recorded by Mankato Clinic, CentraCare Health, and Apple Valley Medical Clinic. 

New in 2020 

New to this year’s public reporting by medical group is a measure of osteoporosis management in women who have had a fracture. MN Community Measurement (MNCM) decided to add this measure in 2018 in response to evidence that Minnesota’s performance on this measure was lagging the nation. The statewide average for this measure is 31.5 percent. 

High Performing Medical Groups 

The report recognizes nine medical groups that achieved high performance on at least 50 percent of the measures for which they were eligible. These medical groups are: 

• Central Pediatrics 

• Entira Family Clinics 

• Essentia Health 

• HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics 

• HealthPartners Clinics 

• Mankato Clinic 

• Park Nicollet Health Services 

• South Lake Pediatrics 

• Wayzata Children’s Clinic 

“Our patients expect and deserve top quality care,” said Andrea Walsh, president and CEO, HealthPartners. “These results reflect the hard work of many clinicians and care teams, and a strong culture of respect, collaboration and systematic, evidence-based support for our patients and families. We are proud of our HealthPartners and Park Nicollet results and the physicians and care teams that earned them. And, we are constantly looking for ways to better serve our patients and we use MNCM’s independent review to help guide our improvements.” 

Importance of Measurement 

Measuring and reporting on health care quality is important because it helps consumers know how care varies across providers, helps providers to understand how their measures compare to others and where 

their biggest improvement opportunities are, and helps health plans and other purchasers better understand and improve value for money that is spent on health care. 

“Minnesota is really unique in the nation in the capabilities that we’ve built to measure and report on health care outcomes,” said Julie Sonier, MNCM President. “The measures that we’re using are really important in terms of preventing and managing disease to get the best possible health outcomes. There continues to be wide variation on most measures, which shows that there is still a lot of opportunity for improvement.” 

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.

Contact: Raya Zimmerman

zimmerman@neuger.com

612-664-0716


Posted in Press Release

Recent Posts

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.
By Elizabeth Cinqueonce • October 19, 2026
Aligning for Impact: From Momentum to Action A 2026 Leadership Series from the MNCM Board Chair & President
By Elizabeth Cinqueonce • July 22, 2026
Aligning for Impact: From Vision to Momentum A 2026 Leadership Series from the MNCM Board Chair & President
May 27, 2026
MNCM’s President & CEO Liz Cinqueonce Joins Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council Advances Regional Collaboration and Quality Improvement
By Elizabeth Cinqueonce • May 13, 2026
MN Community Measurement Recognizes Innovation and Collaboration in Clinical Quality Measurement

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories