Health Care Homes
Learning Collaborative
MDH Learning Center
Support your Health Care Homes transformation by visiting the MDH Learning Center, your gateway to online courses, conferences, webinars and other resources designed for Health Care Homes stakeholders at all levels of learning.
The MDH Learning Center login page is located at https://minnesota.myabsorb.com/#/login.
You will need to create a MDH Learning Center user profile at initial login (details below).
Once you establish a MDH Learning Center user profile, you’ll be able to access learning opportunities and create a transcript of your activity.
Click on topic to show detailed information.
This course explores the social determinants of health (SDoH), including the resulting social needs. Participants will learn about SDoH screening tools used to identify social needs, as well as strategies to address them. This includes real-world examples of Minnesota Health Care Homes.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe social determinants of health and the resulting social needs of a clinic’s patient population.
- Describe SDOH screening tools available to identify social needs.
- Identify SDOH strategies to address social needs.
- Discuss real world examples of screening for and addressing social needs.
To access this free, online course, log in to the MDH Learning Center and search for Beyond the Clinic Walls: Recognizing and Addressing the Social Determinants of Health.
Visit Beyond the Clinic Walls: Recognizing and Addressing the Social Determinants of Health Resources.
A course for clinicians and care team members focusing on best practices and tools for diagnosing cognitive impairment in older adults. Created in partnership with Act on Alzheimer’s, this free course includes video demonstrations, webinars, and practice exercises.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the value of timely detection of cognitive impairment and dementia
- Administer, score, and interpret at least one objective cognitive assessment tool
- Discuss cognitive assessment results and next steps with patients and other providers
This free online course was developed in partnership with ACT on Alzheimer's. Register on the MDH Learning Center.
Emerging Professions was developed in partnership with the MDH Office of Rural Health and Primary Care. In this course, you will learn how community health workers, community paramedics and dental therapists can enhance your practice and better serve your patients. You will also learn where to find qualified candidates, how to write job descriptions and how to build them into your practice.
Register for this free online course on the MDH Learning Center.
An updated version of the Foundations of Health Care Homes Certification e-learning course is now available on the MDH Learning Center. The course covers the Health Care Homes progression model and the standards and requirements for certification and recertification as a Health Care Home. The course is designed for primary care providers considering HCH certification, as a resource for clinical staff in the certification or recertification process, and as an orientation for care team members who would benefit from learning about the Health Care Home model.
To access this free, online course, log in to the MDH Learning Center and search for Foundations of Health Care Homes Certification.
Visit Foundations of Health Care Homes Certification Resources.
HCH is excited to introduce Fundamentals of Care Coordination, a multi-lesson foundations course that covers the principles and practices of effective care coordination. Like other HCH e-learning courses, the care coordination course is free and consists of short lessons so you can select topics of interest and complete lessons in manageable chunks of time. HCH Practice Improvement Specialists provided subject matter expertise and resources for the course.
Register for this free online course on the MDH Learning Center.
This course introduces basic components of clinic-based self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) programs, profiles three Minnesota clinics that have implemented SMBP programs, and explores their similarities and differences. Produced in partnership with the Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII).
Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Explore options for clinic-based SMBP programs
- Identify similarities and differences between example SMBP programs
- Consider how to structure an SMBP program in a participant clinic
Register on the MDH Learning Center.
Visit Implementing a Clinic-based Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Program Resources.
Learn about the difference between implicit and explicit bias, the various lenses through which we view our environment, and how implicit bias affects quality of care and patient health. Additional tools and resources provided. Created by Health Care Homes in partnership with Stratis Health.
Participants in this course will be able to:
- Recognize that everyone holds implicit bias
- Describe how implicit bias impacts care quality
- Provide one example of how implicit bias impacts patients
- Identify strategies to increase awareness of implicit bias to minimize impacts
Register on the MDH Learning Center.
This course was created through a collaboration between two MDH sections, Health Care Homes (HCH) and the Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII). Topics covered include best practices in integrated care as well as Minnesota-based examples of work being done by both primary care and behavioral health providers. Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Define bi-directional integration and the need for this approach
- Identify three key components of integrated care and how they can be implemented in primary care or behavioral health settings
- Describe the experiences, challenges, and solutions of Hennepin County Mental Health Center and their integrated care delivery model
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s.
Register on the MDH Learning Center.
A one-hour virtual training designed to enhance intercultural effectiveness for Health Care Homes stakeholders and community partners. Hosted by HealthFinders Collaborative, a southern Minnesota community health center and Health Care Home, this training provides valuable insights and tips for building strong connections with culturally unique patient populations, with a focus on serving the Latinx and Somali communities.
Register on the MDH Learning Center.
This course provides an overview of the Juniper network of Minnesota community-based resources for individuals with chronic diseases. The course is designed for providers who are interested in referring their patients to Juniper's evidence-based disease prevention and self-management courses.
Learning Objectives
- After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Describe Juniper evidence-based self-management and disease prevention resources
- Explain how to promote and refer patients to Juniper self-management education programs
This free online course was developed in partnership with the Diabetes and Health Behavior Unit of the Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Division and is worth .5 credit hours.
Register for this free online course on the MDH Learning Center.
This course explores pharmacy-led medication therapy management, and the opportunities, challenges and requirements for partnering with an embedded pharmacist or community pharmacist. Produced in partnership with the Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII).
Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Understand Pharmacy-led Medication Therapy Management (MTM)
- Describe current reimbursement sources for MTM
- Discuss the opportunities, challenges, and requirements for partnering with an embedded clinical pharmacist or a community pharmacist
- Identify key steps to embedding Pharmacist-led MTM into a clinic setting
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s.
Register on the MDH Learning Center.
One in three American adults has undiagnosed prediabetes. Left unchecked, prediabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. The good news is that lifestyle changes can stop or slow prediabetes. This course looks at prediabetes through the lens of population health, including screening, identifying risk factors and how community partnerships can aid prediabetes management. Developed by the MDH Health Care Homes Program in collaboration with the MDH Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives.
Participants who complete this course will be able to:
- Explain the significance of prediabetes to population health
- Identify risk factors and symptoms of prediabetes
- Describe screening tools and diagnostic tests for prediabetes
- List key action steps for developing care plans for individuals living with prediabetes
- Refer or recommend a community or online diabetes prevention program or other lifestyle change resource
- Identify opportunities for partnering with the community to address prediabetes
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s.
Register Now
Risk Stratification
Learn about Risk Stratification and how to use it to manage population health in these two related courses.
Learning about Your Population – Introduction to Risk Stratification
Describes risk stratification and its link to Health Care Homes, explains why it is important, and provides examples of processes and tools.
Participants who complete this course will be able to:
- Define risk stratification and describe why it is important
- Recognize how risk stratification is connected to Health Care Homes standards
- Describe the benefits of knowing the complexity of your population
- Identify levels of risk, processes, and examples of risk stratification tools.
The course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEUs.
Risk Stratifying Your Population: Strategies and Examples
This course explores models of risk stratification, highlights work being done by Health Care Homes clinics to assess and manage patient populations and looks at the link between risk stratification and care coordination.
Participants who complete this course will be able to:
- Describe multiple risk stratification models for the care coordination of a population
- Identify how using data sources can create levels of risk in your patient population
- Describe real world examples of assessing and managing patients from a data driven perspective.
- Recognize how care coordination interventions are tailored to risk levels
The course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEUs.
Visit the MDH Learning Center for more information and registration (required). NOTE: to register on the Learning Center, you must first establish a user profile and password. !
For many organizations, COVID-19 has been a catalyst in adoption of telehealth. Whether your organization is just starting or on your way, this course will help you chart your voyage with information, tools, and resources to advance your telehealth practice. All aboard! Developed by the MDH Health Care Homes program in collaboration with the MDH Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives.
Participants who complete this course will be able to:
- Relate one example of telehealth to clinical practice experience
- Measure current readiness to change telehealth practices
- Identify and prioritize one area for improvement in the use of telehealth solutions
- Describe the value and impact of making a change to telehealth practices.
- Select at least one resource to assist in making the identified telehealth practice improvement
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s.
Register Now
Learners will explore shared decision making, a model of patient-centered care. Topics include defining and describing the shared decision making approach, when and how to make use of shared decision making, and what steps should be taken when implementing this model in your organizational setting.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe shared decision making and its potential for our health system in a rapidly changing care delivery and payment environment
- Identify the questions you should ask to analyze and improve your shared decision making efforts
- List the steps needed to apply these principles to your measurement and improvement priorities
This free online course was developed in partnership with Stratis Health. Register on the MDH Learning Center.
Explores strategies to support management of hypertension, including prevention, patient self-management, and partnerships between clinics, local public health and community organizations.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the importance of self-measuring blood pressure for hypertension management
- Identify strategies to coordinate hypertension management through partnerships between clinics, community organizations, and local public health
- Help clinics and communities partner to promote healthy lifestyles to reduce and manage hypertension
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s. Register Now
Supporting Arthritis Management
Health Care Homes, in partnership with the MDH Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII), has created two e-learning courses focusing on arthritis management:
Clinic-Community Linkage for Arthritis Management
This course takes learners through best practices for supporting patients in managing arthritis. This includes a focus on the Walk With Ease program.
Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Review how arthritis disease affects people’s lives
- Describe the framework of screen, counsel, referral and follow up in a system workflow process and importance of using patient registries
- Recognize using the 5 A’s for individual counseling with arthritis patients: ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange within the SCRF workflow
- Identify referral process to evidence-based lifestyle management programs and physical activity (PA) interventions
- Select communication tools to promote physical activity
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s.
Supporting Arthritis Management - The Role of Community Health Workers (CHWs)
This course explores the role of community health workers (CHWs) in supporting patient arthritis management.
Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Understand the CHW role with people who have arthritis
- Recognize risk factors for and describe the management and treatment of arthritis
- Recognize how CHWs can use the 5 A’s with arthritis patients
- Identify a referral process to evidence-based lifestyle management programs and physical activity (PA) interventions
- Select communication tools to promote physical activity
This course is free, available on demand, and provides a completion certificate for obtaining CEU’s.
Learn how organizations in Minnesota and nationally are integrating behavioral health and primary care through the Collaborative Care Model. Explore how this evidence-based model is improving outcomes for primary care patients with behavioral health needs and consider action steps for implementing the model in your organization.
Learners who complete this course will be able to:
- Describe the Collaborative Care Model and how it works
- Explain how the model is being used nationally and in Minnesota
- Identify action steps and resources to start implementing the Collaborative Care Model
Register for this free online course on the MDH Learning Center.
Using the Connection Model to Bridge Clinic and Community
November 16, 2023, Noon – 1:00 pm
This webinar is a continuation of the September 26, 2023, webinar, Overcoming Socioeconomic Barriers in Rural Minnesota Using a Connection Model. In this session, Dani Protivinsky, CentraCare, will further explore where and how to start building your own unique partnerships at the clinic and community level. Learn how to address social determinants of health and play a pivotal role in patient outcomes. Discover how the connection model and other resources, including the Take 5 model, can help you identify gaps and opportunities in practice and partnership to roll out your own plan of intervention.
Learners who complete this session will enhance knowledge and skills to:
- Develop a unique framework that aligns with your level of existing needs.
- Launch the Take 5 method in your approach (awareness, adjustment, assistance, alignment, advocacy).
- Implement and commit to the cause.
To register for this free webinar, log in to the MDH Learning Center and search for Using the Connection Model to Bridge Clinic and Community.
December 12, 2023, Noon – 1:00 pm
Join us for a presentation and panel discussion on how Health Care Home clinics are responding to primary care workforce shortages in the post-COVID environment. Zora Radosevich from the Minnesota Dept of Health Office of Rural Health and Primary Care will kick things off with a short presentation followed by a panel discussion including Health Care Home providers from Stellis Health, Riverwood Healthcare Center, and HealthPartners.
Learners who complete this session will enhance knowledge and skills to:
- Explain impact of primary care workforce challenges in Minnesota post-COVID.
- Transform hiring practices to build inclusivity in the workplace.
- Identify innovative models of care for addressing workforce challenges.
- Describe strategies for attracting and retaining clinical staff.
To register for this webinar, log in to the MDH Learning Center and search Developing Innovative Models of Care Post-COVID.
Motivational Interviewing Skills Refresher
This training focused on the essential principles and techniques of Motivational Interviewing (MI), an Evidence-Based Practice designed to help facilitate and support patient change. Taught by consultant, Sue EckMaahs, this curriculum is based on the work of William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick. MI is used in a number of settings. Data demonstrates statistically significant outcomes when using an MI approach to address substance abuse, mental/behavioral health and primary/public health care issues. Learning objectives:
- Review the basic clinical style of MI, and how to continue learning it in practice.
- Better understand the fundamental spirit and intentions of MI.
- Strengthen empathetic listening skills in the context of a person-centered, guiding approach.
- Experience and practice and MI style for approaching ambivalence for personal change.
- Better understand the fundamental patient language cues (change talk/sustain talk), that allow for an intentional, customized approach and receive ongoing feedback and learning in practice.
To receive a copy of the handouts or PowerPoint for this session, please contact the instructor Sue EckMaahs.
The Minnesota Department of Health and Department of Human Services teamed up to offer Health Care Home (HCH) clinics, Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs), Behavioral Health Home (BHH) services providers, as well as Minnesota behavioral health providers and their partners a free 6-month learning experience called, “Building Systems for Culturally Responsive Integrated Care.”
The six-part series began in January 2020 and included monthly online learning sessions with additional resources for study, reflection, online discussion and coaching. Learning sessions are recorded and posted as available.
Building Systems for Culturally Responsive Integrated Care Fact Sheet (PDF)
Video Recordings of Sessions
Leadership and Organizing in Action (LOA) is a community organizing initiative developed by ReThink Health. This day-long workshop was offered on two days: May 15, 2019 in Marshall and June 4, 2019 in Duluth. At this workshop, participants learned how to exercise leadership to organize and mobilize partners and stakeholders who have an interest in defining a shared vision and action plan aimed at strengthening collaboration and engagement around population health and quality improvement.
Behavioral Health Integration Summit
On September 25, 2018, in Shoreview, Minnesota, Health Care Homes, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and Behavioral Health Home services providers and their community partners participated in a full day event focused on behavioral health integration in Minnesota. Joan King from the National Council of Behavioral Health was the featured speaker.
Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Health
The MDH Health Care Homes program held two Minnesota regional meetings (in St. Cloud on May 31, 2018, and the other in Mankato on June 19, 2018) for certified Health Care Home clinics, Behavioral Health Home services providers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and partner organizations interested in working together to enhance whole person care. The events were facilitated by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI). To view agendas and PDF's, click on the links below.
Visit the MDH Learning Center for webinar recordings as available.
- Go to the MDH Learning Center login webpage.
- Click the Sign Up button.
- Enter your registration information, including a username and password.
- Click Sign Up. You will be logged into the MDH Learning Center.
- Each person registering for a learning event must establish a MDH Learning Center user profile and password before registering.
- Register one person at a time.
- Register in the name of the person who is attending the learning event.
- If you find you are unable to attend after registering, send someone else in your place or let MDH HCH know so we can open space for someone else.
- Login to the MDH Learning Center.
- Select Catalog from the menu bar.
- If you are looking for a particular course or training, you can search by entering the name in the field on the left of the screen labeled Course Name. Then go to Step #5.
- To browse available Health Care Homes offerings, click Minnesota Department of Health (on bar in center of screen), then Health Care Access and Quality.
- Select your course or training and click Enroll. You are now enrolled. If it is an e-learning course or other online offering, click Start to begin.
- Is there a cost associated with creating a user profile?
No, there is no charge for creating a user profile or logging into the MDH Learning Center. Most learning opportunities are offered free of charge. If there is a charge, you will be asked for payment information as you register. - If I work for another state or local government agency and have an Learning Center account there, do I need to create a new profile for the MDH system?
Yes, you will need to create a user profile for the MDH Learning Center, regardless of whether or not you already have an account with another Learning Center. Each system is independent of the others. - How can I see the number of learning activities completed and credits earned?
Click this button
in the upper right part of the screen. Select Transcript from the drop-down menu. You will be able to view a record of all your learnings and credits earned. - Are CEU credits available for learning activities?
Certificates of attendance are available to registrants who participate in learning activities and complete an online evaluation. Submit the certificate of attendance to your licensing board for continuing education credits.