Public Health System Transformation Update Newsletter
June 2024 | View all system transformation newsletters

A Deeper Dive: Flexible Funding for Foundational Public Health Responsibilities 

In order to do foundational public health work within a local context, Minnesota community health boards need funding that’s flexible and complements communities’ strengths and assets while meeting local opportunities and challenges.

The Minnesota Legislature acknowledged this need, and allocated funding to community health boards to support foundational public health responsibilities in its 2023 session.

This funding is noncompetitive, meaning it’s open for all community health boards in Minnesota. The funding formula prioritizes a board’s Social Vulnerability Index, as well as boards serving smaller populations; a workgroup representing local public health, MDH, and county commissioners (SCHSAC) developed this formula to account for local need and capacity.

Nearly all 51 community health boards have developed a work plan and budget, addressing the following foundational responsibilities: 

Note: Community health boards may have access to additional funding sources for a specific area or capability; if a workplan noted above doesn’t address a specific responsibility, it doesn’t mean the community health board isn’t still working on it with another funding stream. Many community health boards are also addressing more than one responsibility using foundational funding.

What are foundational responsibilities?

Where you live should not determine your level of public health protection. The governmental public health system has a set of foundational responsibilities it stewards, defining what needs to be in place everywhere for Minnesota's public health system to work anywhere, as we work toward a more seamless, responsive, and publicly-supported public health system.

Learn more: 

• Foundational public health responsibilities and framework
• What do foundational public health responsibilities look like in practice?

Subscribe: Public Health System Transformation Update