Submitted by reader James
Administration officials today announced that Minnesota will get at least $47 million of the nearly $1 billion in stimulus funding meant to boost the use of health information technology and train workers for jobs in health care, information technology, and other high-growth sectors.
“Health information technology can make our health care system more [...]

The University of Minnesota’s Institute for Health Informatics was formed virtually in 2005 and was launched as a physical entity in Diehl Hall in 2009 to link the growing health informatics related research, teaching, and outreach functions, optimizing opportunities for coordination, synergy, and collaboration.

The following is a republish of a Minnesota Department of Health announcement:
State and local public health officials are taking aggressive steps in response to the unusual strain of swine influenza that has been making people ill in Mexico and parts of the U.S.
Since last Thursday, officials at the Minnesota Department of Health have been asking [...]

Thirty-six states around the USA are currently suffering from budget shortfalls.  Each state is trying to counter with a mess of “increase taxes, decrease taxes, increase spending, decrease spending,” etc, etc.
Minnesota appears to be trying to make back much of its shortfall by directly targeting hospitals and clinics.  Latest proposals could impact hospitals by as [...]

Governor Pawlenty’s proposed budget will undermine hospitals’ stability
and unravel the state’s health care safety net

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Governor Tim Pawlenty’s budget proposal announced today will severely hurt Minnesota’s hospitals and the citizens they serve. His proposed budget would entirely eliminate some payments to hospitals, unilaterally reduce payment rates for patients in state health [...]

The nations financial woes just keep coming.  I would like to be a “glass half full” person, but I am not sure we are at the end.  Health care has long been considered recession proof, but with state budgets being pummeled and health care being the #1 expense in many states we are going to [...]

**Sent from Lawrence Massa to hospital leaders in Minnesota**
Dear Hospital Leaders:
Without a doubt, the historic projected budget shortfall of $ 5.2 billion that was announced yesterday will bring hardship for all Minnesotans.  Most Minnesotans benefit from government services. Likewise, most of us pay taxes. The magnitude of this shortfall may mean [...]

Are you in Minnesota or a nearby state and regulated by the new Minnesota Community Measures?  If so, tell us what you think of these new quality measures.