Minnesota Department of Health

What Minnesota Department of Health does

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is a Minnesota state government agency under the executive branch, responsible for protecting, maintaining, and improving the health of all Minnesota residents. Founded in 1977 (firmographics date; agency has historical roots extending further back), MDH operates from a Saint Paul headquarters with eight regional district offices providing localized public health services across all 87 counties and consultation relationships with 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations.

MDH's core operational infrastructure is its Public Health Laboratory system, which includes the Environmental Laboratory, Infectious Disease Laboratory, and Newborn Screening Program with whole-genome sequencing capabilities. The department runs approximately 16 major programs including disease surveillance systems (COVID-19 tracking, wastewater monitoring for measles/avian influenza/norovirus/mpox/COVID/flu/RSV via WastewaterSCAN partnership), the Birth Defects Information System, Child and Teen Checkups preventive screening (serving 600,000+ eligible children), the WIC Nutrition Program, 988 Mental Health Lifeline, vital records registration (~65,000 births annually), food/pools/lodging regulatory licensing, and environmental health monitoring (44,000 environmental samples tested annually, fish consumption advisories). The department employs 1,607 full-time equivalent staff (as of November 2022) and is led by Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham (since January 2023).

MDH operates on biennial budget authority rather than commercial revenue. The 2024-2025 biennial budget is $1.53 billion, funded by federal sources at 55% ($836M), state general fund at 21% ($316M), and licensing/fees/dedicated state funds at 24% ($381M). The 2026-2027 biennium is projected at $1.37 billion, reflecting normalization from pandemic-era peaks of $2.04B (2020-2021) and $2.72B (2022-2023 estimated). MDH does not have a traditional go-to-market motion; it delivers services directly to residents through district offices, tribal health liaisons, local public health department partnerships, and digital portals, with strategic research collaborations including Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania) and the BEACONS whole-genome newborn sequencing study.

Name

Minnesota Department of Health

Legal name

Minnesota Department of Health

Website

https://health.state.mn.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Minnesota Department of Health is a state government agency that protects and improves the health of all Minnesota residents through disease surveillance, newborn screening, healthcare facility regulation, environmental monitoring, vital records, and emergency preparedness, operating from a Saint Paul headquarters and eight regional district offices with a $1.53 billion biennial budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

City/Municipal Public Health Departments (HLAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Disease surveillance monitoring
• Environmental health regulation
• Vital records administration
• Health laboratory testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding: Federal grants and funding constitute the largest portion of MDH revenue at $836 million (55% of $1.53 billion budget for 2024-2025 biennium)
2. State General Fund: State general fund appropriation of $316 million (21% of budget) for 2024-2025 biennium
3. Licensing and Fee Revenue: Various licensing fees, health care access fund, dedicated state funds, and other sources totaling $381 million (24% of budget)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is a state government agency that protects, maintains, and improves the health of all Minnesotans through public health programs, disease surveillance, environmental health monitoring, vital records administration, health care facility regulation, and laboratory testing services. MDH operates the Public Health Laboratory (Environmental, Infectious Disease, and Newborn Screening), regulates 4,699 health care facilities, and delivers statewide programs including WIC, immunizations, mental health crisis support (988 Lifeline), and emergency preparedness across eight regional district offices.

Product overview

The Minnesota Department of Health operates as a comprehensive public health agency offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The department's core infrastructure includes the Public Health Laboratory (comprising Environmental Laboratory, Infectious Disease Laboratory, and Newborn Screening Program), which conducts testing and monitoring. Key programs include the Birth Defects Information System (BDIS) for congenital condition tracking, the Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) preventive screening program, the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) for community health improvement, and the 988 Minnesota Lifeline for mental health crisis support. The department also provides regulatory services through Food/Pools/Lodging licensing, environmental health programs including fish consumption advisories, vital records registration, and disease surveillance systems including COVID-19 tracking and wastewater monitoring. The department operates through multiple divisions including Health Promotion and Chronic Disease, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control, Health Policy, Health Regulation, and the Office of American Indian Health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Health Laboratory Division comprising Environmental Laboratory, Infectious Disease Laboratory, and Newborn Screening Program that protects Minnesotans through environmental monitoring, infectious disease testing, and newborn screening for life-threatening conditions. Screens approximately 65,000 newborns annually and tests 44,000 environmental samples per year.
• Birth Defects Information System (BDIS) Statewide information system containing data on the cause, treatment, prevention, and cure of major birth defects, monitoring over 60 congenital conditions identified in the first year of life.
• COVID-19 Response System Comprehensive COVID-19 information system including case and variant tracking, hospitalization data, mortality statistics, testing information, vaccine distribution, and materials for health care settings, schools, and communities.
• Rabies Prevention Program Program providing rabies facts, animal bite management guidance, post-exposure prophylaxis recommendations, and surveillance for rabies in Minnesota wildlife including skunks and bats.
• Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) Preventive health care and screening program serving over 600,000 eligible children in Minnesota, providing developmental, hearing, vision, and social-emotional screenings along with health assessments.
• Food, Pools, and Lodging Services Licensing, inspection, and food safety oversight for food establishments, public swimming pools, and lodging facilities across Minnesota, including Minnesota Food Code enforcement.
• Fish Consumption Advisory System Annual fish consumption advisories for Minnesota waterbodies based on mercury and PFAS contamination data, providing consumption limits for various fish species for general and sensitive populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26% reduction in all overdose deaths
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota CHW AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with Minnesota CHW Alliance, SoLaHmo Partnership for Health and Wellness, and University of Minnesota CEARCH team to cultivate research role of community health workers in Minnesota.
• Michigan and Kansas Health DepartmentsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cross-state partnerships implementing shared risk and protective factor approaches to address interconnected public health issues including adverse childhood experiences, suicide, overdose, and mental health through braided funding strategies.
• GeneDxminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-funder of BEACONS study for newborn whole-genome sequencing, contributing alongside Illumina and federal government to $27 million study testing 30,000 newborns.
• IlluminaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-funder of BEACONS study for newborn whole-genome sequencing, contributing to $27 million federally-funded research initiative.
• Minnesota Local and Tribal Health DepartmentscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Partner network of local health agencies, tribal public health, and community organizations receiving support through the Public Health Infrastructure Grant for workforce capacity and infectious disease response.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, and University of Pennsylvania for Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (PGCoE), aimed at improving ability to detect and respond to infectious disease threats through whole-genome sequencing and advanced research.
• Mayo CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative partner in Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence for cutting-edge infectious disease research, including discovery of new organisms through combined MDH-Mayo Clinic research efforts.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• California Department of Public Health: California's state public health agency with the largest state population and similar comprehensive mandate including disease surveillance, environmental health, and healthcare facility regulation. Comparable in scale and scope of public health programs.
• New York State Department of Health: New York's state health agency operating the Wadsworth Center public health laboratory with similar disease surveillance, newborn screening, and environmental health functions. Comparable in scientific capabilities and regulatory authority.
• Texas Department of State Health Services: Texas's state public health agency providing comparable services including disease prevention, environmental health, vital records, and healthcare facility regulation across a large geographic area with diverse population needs.
• Florida Department of Health: Florida's state health department with comparable public health laboratory, disease surveillance, and county-level health department partnership structure. Operates with similar regional service delivery model.
• Washington State Department of Health: Washington's state public health agency with similar comprehensive programs including environmental health, newborn screening, vital records, and tribal health partnerships. Comparable in scope and Pacific Northwest public health approach.
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Wisconsin's state health agency serving a neighboring Midwest population with comparable public health programs, Medicaid oversight, and disease surveillance functions. Similar demographic and rural health challenges.
• Illinois Department of Public Health: Illinois's state public health agency with comparable mandate including infectious disease control, environmental health, newborn screening, and healthcare facility licensing across urban and rural populations.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: Pennsylvania's state health agency with similar public health laboratory, disease surveillance, and healthcare facility regulation responsibilities. Comparable in regional district office structure for statewide service delivery.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Michigan's state health department and current cross-state partnership collaborator with MDH on shared risk/protective factor public health approaches. Comparable in scope and Midwest health priorities.
• Ohio Department of Health: Ohio's state public health agency with comparable functions including vital statistics, disease surveillance, environmental health, and healthcare facility regulation across a similar population base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mnhealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MNDeptofHealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/mnhealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mnhealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/mnhealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Department of Health