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System Transformation

Contact Info

Center for Public Health Practice

651-201-3880

health.ophp@state.mn.us

Contact Info

Center for Public Health Practice

651-201-3880

health.ophp@state.mn.us

Minnesota Infrastructure Fund Projects: Local Innovation, Big Transformation

Transforming the public health system in Minnesota

Innovation that challenges the status quo is needed to develop novel, creative approaches to improving the public health system by fulfilling foundational public health responsibilities.

Minnesota’s local health departments and Tribal Nations are testing local innovations across the state, through grants from the Minnesota Infrastructure Fund.

Local communities are often best positioned to implement novel approaches to public health because they are on the front lines, identifying the gaps and problems in the current public health system. They are also able to adapt, iterate, and scale innovative approaches quickly for maximum impact.

On this page
Innovation projects by region
About the Minnesota Infrastructure Fund
How were these projects selected?
Apply for funding

Active innovation projects

Collect, share, and analyze population health data through rural, regional collaboration

Visit this project online: Quin County Public Health Data and Reports
Goal: Increase data capacity in a small, rural area through an eight-county data hub, sharing expertise and resources for data assessment, analysis, and surveillance. Sometimes also called the North West 8 Collective Consortium.
Fiscal agent: Quin County Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Polk-Norman-Mahnomen, Quin County (Marshall, Red Lake, Pennington, Kittson, Roseau)
FY 2022-2026 (July 2021 to June 2026)

Explore methods to increase rural, regional communications capacity

Visit this project online: North Country Community Health Board Media
Goal: Expand communications capacity in a rural area through cross-jurisdictional sharing.
Fiscal agent: North Country Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Beltrami, North Country (Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods)
FY 2022-2025 (July 2021 to June 2025)

Create public health education and communications in Tribal-local partnership

Goal: In partnership across local and Tribal public health, create culturally-based health education and communications materials.
Fiscal agent: Beltrami County Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Beltrami, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Grow disease intervention collaboratively across Tribal and local public health jurisdictions

Goal: Pilot a disease intervention specialist delivery model to work collaboratively across jurisdictions and between Tribal and local public health, to better assess and analyze disparities in disease and social determinants of health.
Fiscal agents: Aitkin-Itasca-Koochiching Community Health Board and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Participating jurisdictions: Itasca, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Explore methods to increase rural, regional communications capacity

Goal: Expand communications capacity in a rural area through cross-jurisdictional sharing.
Fiscal agent: Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Partnership4Health (Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin), Polk-Norman-Mahnomen
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Completed projects

Explore methods to increase data capacity, including data-sharing and disease reporting across local and state borders

Goal: Increase capacity in data and epidemiology across jurisdictions while building data-sharing and disease reporting relationships across state borders
Fiscal agent: Partnership4Health Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Partnership4Health (Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin), Polk-Norman-Mahnomen
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Explore a regional environmental public health partnership

Goal: Create a regional environmental health partnership to strengthen services and explore factors that make for successful cross-jurisdictional work.
Fiscal agent: Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Marshall, Pennington-Red Lake, Polk-Norman-Mahnomen
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Active innovation projects

Collect, share, and analyze population health data across health departments, through regional collaboration

Visit this project online: Let's modernize public health together
Goal: Expand a regional data and communications team to neighboring local and Tribal public health jurisdictions, to strengthen the ability of all to measure, evaluate, and communicate.
Fiscal agent: Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Aitkin-Itasca-Koochiching, Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis
FY 2022-2025 (July 2021 to June 2025)

Active innovation projects

Create public health education and communications in Tribal-local partnership

Goal: In partnership across local and Tribal public health, create culturally-based health education and communications materials.
Fiscal agent: Beltrami County Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Beltrami, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Analyze qualitative and quantitative population health data through regional collaboration

Goal: Create a data hub that combines qualitative data insights, quantitative health care system data, and GIS mapping, across two jurisdictions.
Fiscal agent: Horizon Public Health
Participating jurisdictions: Countryside (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine), Horizon (Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Traverse)
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Explore methods to increase rural, regional communications capacity

Goal: Expand communications capacity in a rural area through cross-jurisdictional sharing.
Fiscal agent: Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Partnership4Health (Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin), Polk-Norman-Mahnomen
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Completed projects

Design a modern, responsive communications strategy through external collaboration

Goal: Design a public health communications strategy for the 21st century by contracting with experts and community connectors.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Horizon Public Health (Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Traverse)
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Explore methods to increase data capacity, including data-sharing and disease reporting across local and state borders

Goal: Increase capacity in data and epidemiology across jurisdictions while building data-sharing and disease reporting relationships across state borders
Fiscal agent: Partnership4Health Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Partnership4Health (Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin), Polk-Norman-Mahnomen
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Active innovation projects

Create public health education and communications in Tribal-local partnership

Goal: In partnership across local and Tribal public health, create culturally-based health education and communications materials.
Fiscal agent: Beltrami County Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Beltrami, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Coordinate data and community engagement through regional collaboration, in partnership with medical care

Goal: Implement a regional approach to data and community coordination across multiple jurisdictions and in partnership with a health care system, to ensure community voices help shape public health priorities and interventions.
Fiscal agent: Benton County Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Benton, Sherburne, Stearns
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Grow disease intervention collaboratively across Tribal and local public health jurisdictions

Goal: Pilot a disease intervention specialist delivery model to work collaboratively across jurisdictions and between Tribal and local public health, to better assess and analyze disparities in disease and social determinants of health.
Fiscal agents: Aitkin-Itasca-Koochiching Community Health Board and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Participating jurisdictions: Itasca, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Active innovation projects

Effectively and responsibly share population health data between medical care systems and public health agencies statewide

Visit this project online: Minnesota EHR Consortium: Health Trends Across Communities in Minnesota
Goal: Strengthen and expand dashboard to effectively share data between health systems and local public health departments, and pilot the use of electronic health record (EHR) data for informing timely public health efforts. Also called Health Trends Across Communities in Minnesota (HTAC).
Fiscal agent: Hennepin County
Participating jurisdictions: Anoka, Bloomington, Carver, Dakota, Edina, Hennepin, Minneapolis, Ramsey, Richfield, Scott, Washington
FY 2022-2025 (July 2021 to June 2025)

Completed projects

Become trauma-informed organization through community partnership and organizational assessment

Goal: Expand methods across participating community health boards to become trauma-informed, healing organizations through community partnerships and by assessing policies, procedures, and systems.
Fiscal agent: Hennepin County
Participating jurisdictions: Bloomington, Edina, Hennepin, Minneapolis, Richfield
FY 2022-2024 (July 2021 to June 2024)

Evaluate establishing safe recovery sites through policy research

Goal: Evaluate the effectiveness, implications and practicality of establishing safe recovery sites, through cross-jurisdictional policy research and evaluation.
Fiscal agent: City of Minneapolis Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Minneapolis, St. Paul-Ramsey
FY 2024 (July 2023 to June 2024)

Operationalize health equity through community collaboration

Goal: Operationalize health equity through a community-city collaboration to address health and healing.
Fiscal agent: City of Bloomington Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Bloomington, Edina; Richfield
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Increase resident health equity, engagement, and opportunity through dedicated team and staff

Goal: Pilot an Office of Community Engagement and Equity to fund and partner with local nonprofit organizations to promote health equity, community engagement, and opportunity for all residents.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Carver County Community Health Board
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Active innovation projects

Build workforce development program in partnership with universities

Visit this project online: Collaborative for Rural Public Health Innovation (CRPHI)
Goal: Create a cross-jurisdictional workforce development program alongside a local university.
Fiscal agent: Human Services of Faribault and Martin Counties
Participating jurisdictions: Brown, Countryside (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine), Des Moines Valley (Cottonwood, Jackson), Faribault-Martin, Kandiyohi-Renville, Le Sueur-Waseca, Meeker-McLeod-Sibley, Nicollet, Southwest (Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, Rock, Redwood), Watonwan
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Analyze qualitative and quantitative population health data through regional collaboration

Goal: Create a data hub that combines qualitative data insights, quantitative health care system data, and GIS mapping, across two jurisdictions.
Fiscal agent: Horizon Public Health
Participating jurisdictions: Countryside (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine), Horizon (Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Traverse)
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Completed projects

Develop and test a modernized, rural communications infrastructure

Goal: Develop and test a modernized communications and marketing infrastructure, in partnership with community leaders, in a rural and multi-county jurisdiction.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Countryside Community Health Board (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine)
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Test a consultation model to build data capacity and strengthen community partnerships

Goal: Pilot a consultation model for building data capacity and strengthening community partnerships.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services (Cottonwood, Jackson)
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Active innovation projects

Build workforce development program in partnership with universities

Visit this project online: Collaborative for Rural Public Health Innovation (CRPHI)
Goal: Create a cross-jurisdictional workforce development program alongside a local university.
Fiscal agent: Human Services of Faribault and Martin Counties
Participating jurisdictions: Brown, Countryside (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine), Des Moines Valley (Cottonwood, Jackson), Faribault-Martin, Kandiyohi-Renville, Le Sueur-Waseca, Meeker-McLeod-Sibley, Nicollet, Southwest (Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, Rock, Redwood), Watonwan
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Explore benefits, drawbacks, and sustainability of full agency integration

Goal: Analyze the benefits, drawbacks, and sustainability of a fully integrated public health jurisdiction, in order to best serve constituents
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Le Sueur-Waseca Community Health Board
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Explore community and organizational benefits of full agency integration

Goal: Investigate the community and organizational benefits of becoming a fully integrated community health board.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Community Health Board
FY 2025-2026 (July 2024 to June 2026)

Completed projects

Explore methods to increase communications capacity, including with community health workers

Goal: Build communications capacity and explore how community health workers can help carry out and support strategic communications.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Le Sueur-Waseca Community Health Board
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

Active innovation projects

Collect, share, and analyze population health data through regional collaboration

Visit this project online:
Olmsted County: SE MN Opioid Data Profile
Olmsted County: Falls Prevention Data
Olmsted County: Minnesota Student Survey Data
Goal: Expand a regional model for population health data collection and analysis. Also known as Southeast Regional Data Hub.
Fiscal agent: Olmsted County Community Health Board
Participating jurisdictions: Dodge-Steele, Fillmore-Houston, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Wabasha, Winona
FY 2022-2025 (July 2021 to June 2025)

Completed projects

Explore methods to increase data capacity

Goal: Work across jurisdictions on joint, mutually beneficial projects to enhance data capabilities.
Fiscal agent and participating jurisdiction: Goodhue County Health and Human Services
FY 2022-2023 (July 2021 to June 2023)

About the Minnesota Infrastructure Fund

In its 2021 session, the Minnesota Legislature recognized the important role of public health. In addition to other investments, the legislature provided a $6 million annual appropriation for community health boards and Tribal governments to build public health capacity; in its 2025 session, the Minnesota Legislature amended the funding to a $4 million annual appropriation. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) convened a group of State Community Health Advisory Committee (SCHSAC) Executive Committee members and public health leaders to determine the best use of these funds.

The Minnesota Infrastructure Fund is administered by the MDH Center for Public Health Practice.

Scope: Based on consultation with SCHSAC and informed by the Joint Leadership Team for System Transformation, applicants for funds are required to:

Address an area or capability in the foundational public health responsibilities framework
Collaborate across jurisdictions
Demonstrate benefit to Minnesota’s public health system
Demonstrate buy-in from others on how partner jurisdictions will benefit from the work
Identify how proposed projects support the vision for a seamless, responsive, publicly-supported public health system

Coaching and technical assistance: Grantees participate in regular check-ins with staff from the MDH Center for Public Health Practice, and participate in grantee meetings throughout the project.

Time frame: New projects are funded for two years with a two-year renewal option. Award amounts are likely to range between $100,000-$400,000/year, but applicants are encouraged to apply for the funds they need to ensure a successful project. Current Minnesota Public Health Infrastructure Fund grantees, meaning those with active grant agreements, can only apply for continuing funding if they are in their first or second years of funding. Projects in their third year are not eligible for continued funding; the application would need to be for a new innovation project.

Eligibility: Minnesota community health boards and Tribal Nations are eligible to apply.

How were these projects selected?

To select the specific projects noted above, MDH convened a broadly representative application review team that included:

A SCHSAC representative to the Joint Leadership Team
An MDH representative to the Joint Leadership Team
An LPHA representative to the Joint Leadership Team
A representative from the MDH Office of American Indian Health
Local public health leaders and SCHSAC members from jurisdictions that are not applying for funds
External partners with relevant knowledge and expertise

Evaluation criteria include: Building capacity in a foundational responsibility, demonstration of organizational need and of how the proposed approach meets that need, identification of potential lessons learned for how to build capacity for foundational responsibilities statewide, consideration of health equity.