Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Highlights

Stroke System ensures hospitals provide quality care to more Minnesotans

MDH works with hospitals across the state to ensure they are equipped and prepared to treat stroke quickly. Between 2013 and 2023, the Minnesota Stroke System grew from 19 stroke designated hospitals to 119. Hospitals located in rural communities now comprise the majority of stroke designated hospitals in Minnesota. This means 94% of Minnesotans have access to acute stroke care within a 30-minute drive. Ongoing efforts are focused on expanding the Stroke System to underserved areas, preventing strokes, raising stroke awareness, reducing treatment time, and preventing stroke recurrence and complications.

Learn more about the Minnesota Stroke Program. 

Partnering to improve breast cancer screening in Southwest Minnesota

The southwestern region of Minnesota has a significantly higher breast cancer mortality rate than any other region in the state. In response, the Sage Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program implemented a local breast cancer screening campaign to encourage regular breast cancer screening and educate the public about Sage from August through October 2024. The campaign included advertising with local media, social media in seven languages, sharing breast cancer survivor stories, a press release, and more. 

Efforts led to slightly more screenings in SW Minnesota than the state-wide average over the past year. However, the campaign also led to a large social media reach, multiple trainings with Sage partner clinics, and mobile mammography events. It also led to new and stronger partnerships in the region, including with American Cancer Society staff and volunteers, local public health departments, Tribal health, clinics, and health insurance providers. Since the campaign ended, five additional clinics in the region joined the Sage network.  This collaboration was a powerful example of how partnerships can make a real impact on public health.

Learn more: Increasing Cancer Screening in Southwest Minnesota  

Statewide Health Improvement Partnership supports local strategies for health

The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) supports community-driven solutions to expand opportunities for active living, healthy eating, and commercial tobacco-free living, helping all people in Minnesota prevent chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

SHIP helps build thriving communities, creating opportunities for all people in Minnesota to live longer, healthier lives. Ninety percent of the nation’s health care costs are for people with chronic conditions, and the majority of those costs are preventable.

During 2023 and 2024 SHIP worked with 2,395 partners and 10 Tribal Nations to implement 11 statewide activities:

• MN Eats: SuperShelf™, Food Rx, Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces
• MN Moves: Improving Safety and Access for Active Transportation and Mobility, Safe Routes to Schools, Park Planning
• MN Breathes: Commercial Tobacco-Free Schools, Commercial Tobacco Point of Sale, Quit Partner Referral
• MN Wellbeing: Social Connection, Trauma-informed Principles

Learn more: Explore SHIP in Your Community