CONNECTED THROUGH DATA: Uncovering Disparities in Cervical Cancer
This October marks the 40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Fortunately, however, early detection through screening and advances in treatment have decreased mortality by 44% since 1989. Screening can catch cancer early, when it is…
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September is Sexual Health Awareness Month. As we close out September, we’re highlighting two of the measures we report on – Cervical Cancer Screening and Chlamydia Screening in Women. Cervical cancer, once one of the most common cancers affecting women in the United States, has significantly decreased since the 1970s. The reason for the decline…
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"It feels like.."
The post Elevating Local Voices: Insights from MNCM’s Regional Community Conversations appeared first on MN Community Measurement.
By Jess Donovan, MPH, Clinical Measurement Analyst, MN Community Measurement; and Steven Inman, MD, Medical Director, Children’s Health Network August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect both individuals and communities from serious and preventable illnesses like measles, tetanus, diphtheria, and influenza. However, the health of the community…
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By Greg Hanley, Chairman of the Board; and Liz Cinqueonce, President and CEO At MN Community Measurement (MNCM), we’ve long believed that meaningful progress in health care begins with community—when those closest to the work and most affected by outcomes help shape the path forward. That belief is the foundation of our second strategic priority…
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By Liz Cinqueonce, President and CEO; and Will Muenchow, Vice President of Technology, Security, and Administration at MN Community Measurement (MNCM) Originally presented at the 2025 Rural MN Health Forum in Alexandria, MN. The event was hosted by Medi-Sota, the MN Rural Health Cooperative, and the Rural Health Alliance: a partnership of rural health care…
The post Empowering Rural Health Care Providers: Leveraging Data for Quality, Equity, and Research appeared first on MN Community Measurement.
By Maegi Yang, MPH, Governance Manager The importance of mental health continues to grow and has a profound impact on many people’s lives. Minnesota ranks 34th in prevalence of mental illness and 14th in accessibility to care in 20241. Although there is higher access to mental health care, Minnesota still ranks on the higher end…
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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 care1. However, it is also one of the states…
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By Greg Hanley, Chairman of the Board; and Liz Cinqueonce, President and CEO In February, the MNCM Board of Directors convened for a strategic planning session to chart the course for the organization over the next five years. This pivotal gathering was grounded in insights from the community and a shared commitment to advancing MNCM’s…
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MN Community Measurement (MNCM) has released two new reports highlighting the state’s health care performance: Health Care in Minnesota: Summary Report on Quality, Disparities, and Cost and Health Care in Minnesota: Health Care Quality Leaders . Together, these reports provide a comprehensive analysis of 2024 data, examining trends in health care quality, disparities, and costs, while also recognizing medical group quality leaders and those demonstrating meaningful improvement. These reports, based on data submitted to MNCM in 2025 and reflecting care delivered in 2024, work in tandem with MNCM’s Performance Hub —an interactive platform providing statewide analyses of health care quality and cost measures. Collectively, these tools equip community partners, including medical groups, payers, policymakers, public health agencies, researchers, and community-based organizations, with actionable insights to drive improvements in care and advance health equity across Minnesota. Report highlights include: Health Care Quality Significant gaps remain in asthma control, with thousands of patients needing improved care to meet statewide benchmarks. Colorectal cancer screening rates for the newly eligible 45-49 age group continues to improve. While the 2024 rate for all age groups has significantly increased compared to 2023, it remains significantly lower than 2021. Childhood immunization continues to show a decrease in statewide rate from year to year. This measure has not shown improvement in rates following the COVID-19 pandemic. There were modest improvements in breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, controlling high blood pressure, diabetes eye exams, and immunizations for adolescents. Health Care Disparities Black, Indigenous, Multi-Race, and Hispanic/Latinx patients experienced the most disparities across multiple measures, particularly in Colorectal Cancer Screening. Patients speaking Somali and Spanish, as well as those from Laos, Mexico, and Somalia, had lower rates of preventive care and chronic disease management compared to statewide averages. Cost and Utilization The total cost of care increased by 7.3% in 2024, primarily driven by an 8.9% rise in pharmacy costs and an 8.3% rise in professional fees. All categories of medical services saw increased use, except for inpatient admissions. Women aged 36-64 had the highest number of claims, while men aged 18-35 had the lowest number of claims. Quality Leaders In 2024, 31 medical groups were recognized as quality leaders across the measures reported by medical groups. In 2024, 58 medical groups were recognized as quality leaders across the measures reported by payers.
Aligning for Impact: Minnesota's Health Data Evolution A 2026 Leadership Series from the MNCM Board Chair & President
CONNECTED THROUGH DATA: Uncovering Disparities in Cervical Cancer
This October marks the 40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Fortunately, however, early detection through screening and advances in treatment have decreased mortality by 44% since 1989. Screening can catch cancer early, when it is…
The post Empowered by Data: Uncovering Screening Disparities and Reducing Breast Cancer Risk appeared first on MN Community Measurement.
September is Sexual Health Awareness Month. As we close out September, we’re highlighting two of the measures we report on – Cervical Cancer Screening and Chlamydia Screening in Women. Cervical cancer, once one of the most common cancers affecting women in the United States, has significantly decreased since the 1970s. The reason for the decline…
The post Empowered by Data: Spotlight on Screening for Sexual Health appeared first on MN Community Measurement.
