Foundational public health responsibilities

TRANSFORMING THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IN MINNESOTA

Where you live should not determine your level of public health protection.

This framework outlines the foundational responsibilities of the governmental public health system. It defines 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.

• It can help us explain the vital role of governmental public health in a thriving community. 
• It helps us identify capacity gaps, ask for support, evaluate progress, and justify resource and funding needs. 
• It also acknowledges that, in addition to a statewide foundation, health departments will provide additional services and may require more capacity in different areas to best serve their communities.

View a larger version of this framework at: PHNCI: Foundational public health services.

Parts of the framework

• Foundational services: Governmental public health must carry out the foundational public health services, and the foundational services must be present in every community across the state to efficiently and effectively promote and protect the health of all people in Minnesota.
• Foundational capabilities represent the foundation: Using the metaphor of a house, all houses need a strong foundation for the rest of the house to function properly. All of public health’s work is undergirded by a strong foundation, built of these capabilities, across all areas of work.
• Foundational areas represent the rooms of our "house": There are some parts of a house that are universal--we expect houses all have a kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, etc. In the same way, Minnesotans should see public health working in their jurisdictions in these five areas of work, no matter where they live. 
• Community-specific services represent the unique needs and decisions of each homeowner for their individual houses, like furniture, paint color, fixtures, etc. They are still very important, but are not the same in every house. Similarly, health departments will provide additional services and may require more capacity in different areas to best serve their communities. For examples of what this might look like, go to p. 3 of A new framework for governmental public health in Minnesota (PDF).

Adopting the national framework

In mid-2023, the Joint Leadership Team for Public Health System Transformation in Minnesota chose to adopt the national framework, shifting away from a Minnesota-specific framework. The Joint Leadership Team represents, in partnership, the Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA), the State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC), and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). You can find a roster of members at: Joint Leadership Team and subgroups.

• Why? We adopted this framework to align with national efforts to transform the public health system, and to build on the work others are doing across the nation. It helps us to “speak the same language” as others doing this work, to better use national resources, and anticipate and respond to future national changes. 
• What changed? The newest national framework more closely reflects Minnesota’s own work in a way previous versions had not, and now embeds equity in all areas and capabilities. It also elevates maternal, child, and family health, and chronic disease and injury prevention, previously embedded in “prevention and population health improvement” in the Minnesota-specific framework.
• How does our work to date fit into the national framework? This shift does not negate our work to date. Our work continues to move forward with minimal changes, to assess what is and isn’t working well, testing new ways of doing business, and identifying change strategies. The Minnesota framework and national framework are arranged slightly differently, but the principles and elements remain the same.

Questions

For questions about this framework, or about transforming Minnesota's governmental public health system, please contact the Joint Leadership Team.