Essentia Health ties for first atop rankings of high-performing health care systems in Minnesota

Essentia Health is one of the top-performing health care systems in the state, according to the latest Minnesota Health Care Quality Report from Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM), a statewide resource for timely, comparable information on health care quality, costs and equity.

Essentia scored significantly above statewide averages on 13 of 21 eligible clinical-quality measures for 2021. We are one of two organizations attaining high-performing status in 13 measures, which is tops in the state.

This is the fourth consecutive MNCM report in which Essentia earned the high-performing designation. The annual report features comparative data on medical group and clinic-level performance on key measures as well as statewide results.

“These are great results,” says Dr. Gratia Pitcher, Essentia’s chief quality and patient safety officer. “They truly demonstrate the collaboration and dedicated work of so many wonderful and excellent colleagues. It takes teamwork to achieve quality measures like these, and these results are a testament to all of Essentia’s commitment to making that healthy difference in people’s lives.”

Essentia was ranked as high performing in the following categories:

• Adolescent depression: Follow-up at 12 months.
• Adolescent depression: Remission at 12 months.
• Adolescent mental health and/or depression screening.
• Adult depression: Follow-up at 12 months.
• Adult depression: Remission at 12 months.
• Colorectal cancer screening.
• Optimal asthma control – adults.
• Optimal asthma control – children.
• Optimal diabetes care.
• Optimal vascular care.
• Breast cancer screening.
• Controlling high blood pressure.
• Diabetes eye exam.

To be a high performer, an organization must have rates significantly above the statewide average on at least 50%of the measures for which it was eligible. This year’s report shows nine organizations reached that level, down one from the previous year.

“We are so excited about this and look forward to celebrating our success,” says Dan Collins, Essentia’s vice president of quality. “The improvements we’ve made in these measures in recent years makes an important statement about all of our colleagues – from the top down – on our commitment and dedication to providing the highest quality of care for our patients at Essentia.”