Collaboration Blog | March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March 11, 2020

By Matt Flory (American Cancer Society) and Jessica Donovan (MN Community Measurement)

In Minnesota, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. Routine screening can detect cancer earlier, even before symptoms occur, which makes it easier to treat. In some cases, precancerous polyps detected during screening can be removed and most patients do not go on to develop colorectal cancer.

MNCM Infographic:
2019 Colorectal Cancer Screening
in Minnesota

MN Community Measurement (MNCM) collects and reports colorectal cancer screening data for over 700 clinics across Minnesota. The following screening tests are captured in the Colorectal Cancer Screening measure: colonoscopies, sigmoidoscopies, CT colonographies and stool blood tests. In the 2019 report year (2018 dates of service), the majority of the screening tests used in Minnesota were colonoscopies (89.7%), while stool blood tests were the second most common (9.8%). Of the stool blood tests used, the Fecal Immunochemical Test, or FIT, was the most common. With the variety of screening tests available, including some that can be used at home, providers can work with patients to select the test that is most appropriate for the patient.

For over a decade, Minnesota stakeholders have beenpartnering to increase state and local screening rates with a goal of reaching 80% in every community. InMNCM’s most recent HealthCare Quality Report , there are over 50 clinics that have already met orsurpassed this goal. An analysis of population screening data by county, showsthat 21 counties across Minnesota surpass the overall average of 71% among the87 counties. However, there remains significant variation across the state,indicating opportunities for improvement. Data for county level colorectalcancer incidence and mortality is available on the MinnesotaDepartment of Health’s website.

Additionally, there remains opportunities for improvement within certain demographics:

  • Both men and women between the ages of 50 – 54 have significantly lower rates of screening compared to older age groups.
  • Men between the ages of 50 – 64 have significantly lower rates of screening compared to women of the same age range. However, men between the ages of 70 – 75 have significantly higher rates of screening compared to women of the same age range.
  • Non-English-speaking patients have significantly lower rates of screening compared to English-speaking patients.
  • Populations of color have significantly lower rates of screening compared to White patients.

The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable has published a number of materials for providers interested in increasing their colorectal cancer screening rates, including a Clinician’s Reference and a Messaging Guidebook. For additional questions about available resources, please contact Matt Flory ( matt.flory@cancer.org ) at the American Cancer Society.

At the American Cancer Society, we’re on a mission to free the world from cancer. Until we do, we’ll be funding and conducting research, sharing expert information, supporting patients, and spreading the word about prevention. All so you can live longer — and better.

MN Community Measurement (MNCM) is a nonprofit, multi-stakeholder collaborative organization that empowers the community with data and information to drive improvement in health care cost and quality. Collaborators include physicians, hospitals and health systems, health plans, employers, consumers, and state government. MNCM specializes in developing, collecting, analyzing, and publicly reporting information on health care quality, cost, and patient experience. Additional reports published by MNCM can be found on  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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