Minnesota Data Sharing May Be Model For Near-Real-Time Tracking Of Drug Overdose Hospital And ED Trends.

The drug overdose epidemic in the US necessitates detailed and timely data to inform public health responses. In this article we describe how an electronic health record (EHR) data-sharing collaboration across health systems in Minnesota that was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was adapted to monitor trends in substance use-related hospital and emergency department (ED) visits. We found large increases in methamphetamine- and opioid-involved hospital and ED visits.

The Impact of Multiple Strategies to Encourage Fruit and Vegetable Consumption During School Lunch.

Background: Hennepin County partnered with schools to implement lunchroom strategies to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption. An in-depth evaluation measured changes in consumption following implementation of encouragement strategies including slicing apples and attractive labels.

Methods: A pre-post prospective evaluation measured changes in average fruit and vegetable consumption at 2 elementary schools.