Uneven Progress, Mixed Results on Minnesota Health Disparities in 2022

October 26, 2023

New report provides data to support health equity improvement strategies

MN Community Measurement (MNCM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting and reporting data on health care quality, cost, and equity to drive improvement in health care, has released its annual report on health care disparities by race, Hispanic ethnicity, language, and country of birth. The measures included in the report assess outcomes for diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and depression, along with preventive care screenings for cancer and adolescent mental health. Separate appendices to the report detail medical group level results by race/ethnicity, language, and country of origin.

Key Findings

The report documents continued wide disparities in health care quality and outcomes by race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin using data collected by MNCM in 2023 that reflects care provided in 2022. Key findings include the following:

  • Groups that are most likely to have quality outcomes that are lower than the statewide average include people who are Black, Indigenous/Native, Hispanic/Latinx; people whose preferred language is Hmong, Somali, or Spanish; and people born in Laos, Mexico, or Somalia.
  • In general, the measure with the largest disparities across subpopulations is colorectal cancer screening. This has important health and equity impacts, because colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S., and early detection and treatment is associated with higher survival and lower treatment cost.
    • This year, MNCM’s data on disparities in colorectal cancer screening show that screening for nearly all the race, ethnicity, language, and country of origin groups fell compared to 2021. In part, this was due to incorporating a U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation to begin screening at age 45 rather than 50.
    • Even after adjusting for the impact of the new age range for screening, rates for many population subgroups fell in 2022. Two “bright spots” were improvements in rates for non-English speakers and people who identify as multi-racial.
  • Except for colorectal cancer screening, 2022 rates for most subpopulations were significantly higher or not statistically different than 2021 rates. Notable exceptions were declining rates for optimal vascular care and optimal asthma control for children among people who are White, Not Hispanic/Latinx, English speakers, or U.S.-born.
  • 2022 results for most health care quality measures remained statistically below pre-pandemic (2019) baselines for most population subgroups. One notable exception was the measure for adolescent mental health and/or depression screening, where 11 of 12 subpopulations had a rate that was higher than their 2019 rate.
  • There is wide variation in health care quality measure results across medical groups and across subpopulations. Some medical groups achieved above average outcomes across patient subpopulations, while others had substantial variation in outcomes.

Implications of this Report

“In many ways, this report provides a roadmap for organizations like health plans, health care providers, employers, community groups, and others to show how they can focus their efforts to improve health equity,” said Julie Sonier, President and CEO of MNCM. For example, contractual incentives can be an effective tool for reducing disparities within medical groups. Investing in structural capacity to analyze and address disparities, including partnerships with community-based organizations, has the potential to address barriers to optimal outcomes and to reduce disparities. For measures like colorectal cancer screening, targeted education and outreach campaigns by community groups and employers about the importance of screening are also promising strategies to reduce disparities.

“As an organization that brings together data from across the state to drive improvement in health care, MNCM is proud of the role that we play in shining a spotlight on disparities and helping to drive improvement,” said Sonier. “The data that we produce calls attention to this important issue and helps to drive investment on many fronts to make progress toward health equity.”

Importance of Measurement

Measuring and reporting on health care quality and disparities in outcomes helps consumers understand how care varies across providers, allows providers to identify improvement opportunities and how their measures compare to others, and helps health plans and other purchasers better understand and improve value for money that is spent on health care.

“Minnesota is unique in the capabilities that we’ve built to measure and report on health care outcomes,” said Sonier. “Having a common set of priorities and a common trusted source of data have been huge assets to Minnesota in focusing efforts to drive improvement.”


Posted in Press Release

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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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