About the Health Equity Strategy and Innovation Division

Minnesota is consistently ranked among the healthiest states in the nation; but our state is also home to some of the greatest health inequities in the country. People of color, American Indians, people with disabilities, people living in rural areas, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and others face barriers that are often rooted in decades of systemic inequities.

The Health Equity Strategy and Innovation Division works to address differences in health status that are systemic, avoidable, unfair, and unjust. We work across MDH and with community partners to advance health equity to ensure all communities are thriving and have what they need to be healthy.

Mission

Our mission is to connect, strengthen, and amplify health equity efforts within MDH and across the state of Minnesota.

• We are a network hub – leading, connecting, and strengthening networks of health equity leaders and partners across MDH and Minnesota communities.
• We provide strategic leadership in advancing health equity and strengthen policies and systems to eliminate inequities.
• We amplify the work of communities most impacted by health inequities and support them to drive their own solutions.

Core Functions

We live out our mission through four core functions. These core functions provide leadership for improving relationships and partnerships, strengthening capacity for advancing health equity, and embedding health equity principles and practices throughout the agency.

Community engagement and partnership

We use a regional and relational approach to connect partners, strengthen community capacity, and amplify the interconnected work of communities. We also work to strengthen MDH capacity for authentic community engagement.

Meet the Community Engagement and Health Equity Networks team

Equitable grantmaking and capacity strengthening

We amplify community-driven strategies to address health inequities, strengthen grantee capacity, and connect grantees to resources and support. We also strengthen MDH grantmaking policies and systems.

Meet the Grants and Capacity Building team

Policy and systems change

We work with partners across the agency to transform policies and systems that perpetuate health inequities. This includes policy and budget development and strategic planning, as well as working with the agency's health equity advisory council.

Meet the Policy and Systems Change team

Health equity communications

We connect staff and community partners to strengthen relationships and build trust, strengthen capacity to advance health equity through resources and information, and amplify the voices and work of communities. 

Meet the Communications team

Learn more about our mission and core functions:
Health Equity Strategy and Innovation Division | Mission and Core Functions (PDF)

Visit the Health Equity Division Staff and Contact Information page to meet all the staff who make this work possible.

Background

MDH created the Center for Health Equity in 2013 to support and lead efforts to advance health equity across the agency and state. The center began as a small team with a large mission: connect, strengthen, and amplify health equity efforts within MDH and across the state. The center led many health equity-centered initiatives, including managing grants with community partners, providing technical assistance, training, and coaching across the agency, and the convening of advisory councils – both internal and external – to guide the agency in its pursuit of health equity.

It became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic that MDH needed more focused resources and leadership dedicated to advancing equity. In 2022, MDH created the Health Equity Bureau and added an assistant commissioner dedicated exclusively to advancing health equity. The center became a central office within the new bureau.

In 2023, the growth of the Center for Health Equity and its expanded role in providing support and technical assistance across the agency led to its elevation to a division, which is now the Division of Health Equity Strategy and Innovation.