The Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment is Now Available

The Minnesota Department of Health and the Healthy Minnesota Partnership gathered data and conducted community engagement activities to develop the most recent statewide health assessment, which was published in April 2024.

• Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment - Full Assessment, Released 2024 (PDF)
• Executive Summary and Letter from the Commissioner (English) (PDF)
• Resumen Ejecutivo y Carta de la Comisionada (Español) (PDF) 
• Tsab Ntawv xa tuaj ntawm Tus Neeg Muaj Cai Tsom Kwm Xyuas Sawv Daws (Hmong) (PDF)
• Warqad ka timid Guddoomiyaha (Somali) (PDF)
• Обращение специального уполномоченного (Russian) (PDF)
• လံာ်ပရၢလၢ ခီၣ်မံးၡၢၣ်နၢၣ် အအိၣ် (Karen) (PDF)

The assessment methods and more information about community engagement can be found in the appendices:

• Appendix A: Detailed Methods (PDF)
• Appendix B: Community Engagement Inventory (PDF)
• Appendix C: State Strengths Survey Findings (PDF)
• Appendix D: Group Conversations Findings (PDF)
• Appendix E: Public Comment Findings (PDF)
• Appendix F: Assessment Alignment (PDF)

What is the statewide health assessment? 

The statewide health assessment tells the story of health in Minnesota. It provides snapshots of how different conditions (education, transportation, income, environment, etc.) impact our health. Guided by the Healthy Minnesota Partnership, the assessment gathers data and information from government agencies and organizations across the state. It is published every five years and directly informs the statewide health improvement framework.

Watch the video below—available in five languages—to learn more about the assessment and its uses. It is available in English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Share the video with your network!

Watch on YouTube:
Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment (English) (1:33)

Watch on YouTube:
Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment (Hmong) (2:06)

Watch on YouTube:
Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment (Somali) (2:11)

Watch on YouTube:
Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment (Spanish) (2:13)

Watch on YouTube:
Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment (American Sign Language) (1:56)

Ten groups and how they can use the statewide health assessment

The statewide health assessment is a resource for all of Minnesota. Below, you’ll find some suggestions for how different groups can leverage the assessment in their life and work.  Keep in mind that these are just a few examples, and there are likely other ways:  

1. Healthy Minnesota Partnership members: Use the assessment to inform your work in building healthier communities. Share its framing and findings within your organization, network, and community.  
2. Minnesota state government agencies: Use the assessment to identify areas for cross-sector collaboration with public health and beyond. Consider the connection between your portfolio and health!  
3. Minnesota Department of Health staff: Use the assessment to identify where to focus conversations and work in expanding systems-level measures and activities, in areas such as policies, environments, and the social determinants of health. Focus on equity.  
4. Local and Tribal health departments and health care organizations: Use the assessment to reference and draw inspiration for your own community health [needs] assessments. Consider incorporating the assessment’s asset-based and systems-level approaches.  
5. State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC) and elected officials: Use the assessment to learn more about the conditions that create health and how the assessment and planning processes in public health help elevate local needs and priorities. Share the assessment with your constituents.  
6. Health plans: Use the assessment to consider how policies, systems, and environments shape health. How might health plans incorporate the many conditions and factors which shape health, in addition to medical care?    
7. Schools of public health: Use the assessment to help students understand how systems and structures impact health and what assessment work looks like in public health.  
8. Community organizations, advocacy groups, boards and councils, and professional organizations: Use the assessment for language and data that supports their own grant applications and reporting.  
9. News media: Use the assessment as a way to talk about health in Minnesota and the conditions that influence it, particularly if a current event involves one of the topics.  
10. All people living in Minnesota: Use the assessment to learn more about the conditions that create health. Later this year, get involved with the statewide health improvement framework and your local health department’s community health assessment and improvement plan!  

Past statewide health assessments

• 2017 Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment (PDF)
  Statewide health assessment updates: 2018 (PDF)
  2017 Minnesota statewide health assessment: A brief overview (PDF)
  Guide to figures from the 2017 Minnesota statewide health assessment (PDF)
  Discussion guide for the 2017 Minnesota statewide health assessment (PDF)
• The Health of Minnesota: 2012 Statewide Health Assessment (PDF)

Related

What are community health boards working on right now? 
Every five years, Minnesota community health boards assess their community's health priorities and plan--often in partnership with other community organizations--how to address those priorities. These steps are called a community health assessment and a community health improvement plan.

Questions about the statewide health assessment

Healthy Minnesota Partnership
c/o MDH Center for Public Health Practice
Phone: 651-201-3880
Email: health.healthymnpartnership@state.mn.us

The 2017 Minnesota Statewide Health Assessment was produced in collaboration by the Minnesota Department of Health and the Healthy Minnesota Partnership. This report was supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, under Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN) NB01OT009130. The content in this report is that of the authors, and does not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.