MN Health Collaborative
The MN Health Collaborative is a powerful example of Minnesota’s healthcare community’s commitment and ability to collaborate - even while being competitors - to better serve our patients, families, and communities.
With ICSI serving as its backbone organization, the MN Health Collaborative includes physicians and other representatives from major healthcare organizations working together to address major health topics affecting Minnesota communities today including opioid misuse and addiction as well as system improvements to address broader mental health care needs.
Reducing Opioid Use and Improving Pain Management
MN Health Collaborative partners are committed to reducing opioid prescribing and overdose deaths, and improving care for people experiencing pain and addiction. Initial efforts focus on nonsurgical and surgical prescribing practices.
Working group members are developing an innovative approach to prescribing opioids for post-operative pain. The new approach addresses the unique needs of patients based on their past health histories, current diagnoses, and required surgical and post-operative treatment needs.
Changing current post-operative prescription standards is a critical step to ensure that patients do not receive more than the required number of pills needed for pain management as overprescribing opioids may lead to side effects and potential dependence for some individuals. Surplus opioid medications also increase the risk of these drugs being diverted from intended use and distributed illegally within the community.