Minnesota Department of Health

Our Public Health Laboratory (PHL) performs the testing for Healthy Kids Minnesota, a biomonitoring project that measures harmful chemicals in young children across the state. Read about our role in the Healthy Kids Minnesota in our PHL Annual Report: https://lnkd.in/gYYaCVCB You can also learn more about Healthy Kids Minnesota on their website: https://lnkd.in/g4fZrnz4

In honor of International Women’s Day tomorrow, we would like to proudly recognize a Minnesota Department of Health partner Rae Blaylark, founder and director of the Sickle Cell Foundation of MN, who recently received the 2025 Dr. Charles Drew Lifesaver Award on behalf of her organization. This recognition is presented to outstanding leaders in blood donation and advocacy, and is a testament to Rae’s leadership in advocating for the needs of sickle cell patients as well as their collaboration with Memorial Blood Centers in ensuring a safe, ample, and diverse blood supply. Visit www.sicklecellmn.org to learn more about Rae’s foundation and their commitment to helping those living with Sickle Cell Disease. #InterantionalWomensDay #SickleCellAwareness 

Yesterday marked the five-year anniversary since we announced the first case of COVID-19 in Minnesota. What followed was a massive public health response that would not have been possible without the dedication and compassion of so many people. We want to take this opportunity to thank our Minnesota Department of Health staff for their work, as well as thank our partners in other state agencies, local public health, Tribal health, health care, community organizations, and the people of Minnesota. COVID-19 is not gone, but the work of so many passionate people helped us get to a place where we have more tools to manage the disease.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month! Take action on Dress in Blue Day to raise awareness, support work to end colorectal cancer, and honor those impacted by the disease. Wear blue on March 7 for Dress in Blue Day and tag #DressinBlueDay to show your support. #ColorectalCancerAwarenessMonth #ColorectalCancerAlliance  #BlueforCRC

Excessive drinking affects the health and well-being of Minnesotans and has a huge impact on our economy too. What is excessive drinking? It includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any drinking during pregnancy or by those under 21. Want to know more about the cost? Check out Minnesota's 2019 cost study to see the price tag excessive drinking places on our state and who ends up paying the bill: https://lnkd.in/gv8V_src

Our Newborn Screening Program recently began screening infants for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency.   With the addition of these two conditions, we expect about 300 infants per year to require additional testing and about 6-10 of these infants to be diagnosed with DMD or GAMT deficiency. To learn more about the Minnesota Newborn Screening Program, visit: https://lnkd.in/eBvykVvr

Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Minnesota. Cardiac rehab, a program much like physical therapy for the heart, can help prevent future heart attacks or strokes in patients who have had a cardiac event or procedure already. The Minnesota Department of Health promotes cardiac rehab by collaborating with the Minnesota Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, supporting a virtual home-based cardiac rehab pilot project, promoting screenings for food insecurity and referral, analyzing data, and spreading the word about cardiac rehab. Learn more about cardiac rehab: https://lnkd.in/gC3jtDz4

Meet Nicole. Nicole was born with a rare genetic condition called WILD syndrome, which led to lymphatic malformations and chronic swelling known as Lymphedema. She has known this since she was only 9 months old. As a degenerative condition, Lymphedema became more challenging as Nicole grew older, requiring her to manage it through regular compression therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, and other treatments. While the physical symptoms and lifestyle adjustments were significant, Nicole shares that the most challenging aspect was the sense of isolation - feeling unable to fully participate in the routines and activities that others around her enjoyed. It was through opening up and connecting with a community of people who shared similar experiences that Nicole realised she wasn’t alone. She felt relieved. #RareDiseaseDay Read more about Nicole’s experience through the following link: https://lnkd.in/e8aAncJA Click the link in bio to read more about Nicole’s experience.

Newborn Screening consists of 3 simple tests: 🩸 Blood spot collection 👂 Hearing screening ❤️ Pulse oximetry screening    #NewbornScreening #PublicHealth

WE’RE HIRING! Do you have experience managing data collection and vendor contracts? Interested in applying your skills to produce actionable insights to better public health outcomes? Join the Health Care Data Service Center (HCDSC) as an Operations Supervisor! In this role you will lead a talented team of data professionals while: ✔️ Managing contracts for data collection, aggregation, and system reporting. ✔️ Developing and maintaining processes to ensure data security, quality, goals, timelines, and budgets. ✔️ Partnering with MDH’s IT team to maintain system performance. ✔️ Building collaborative relationships with data submitters, research investigators, health plans, providers, and other stakeholders. Interested? Applications will be accepted through March 6 at https://lnkd.in/g5rTezp by searching Job ID 83550.