Stearns County board approves Central Minnesota Alliance health plan for 2025–2028

The Stearns County Board of Commissioners on June 24 approved submission of the Central Minnesota Alliance’s 2025–2028 community health improvement plan to the Minnesota Department of Health.

The plan, developed by Stearns, Sherburne and Benton counties together with CentraCare Health (the partnership calls itself the Central Minnesota Alliance), sets three priorities: community connection, community stability and access to preventive and treatment services. Melissa Huberty, Human Services administrator, told the board community health boards and health systems are required to complete an improvement plan every three or five years.

The alliance collected data through focus groups, a countywide online survey available in multiple languages, partner assessments and healthcare system data access arranged through CentraCare, presenters said. Steve Vincent, a member of the public health task force, described the regional collaboration with CentraCare as “incredibly exciting,” noting the partnership gives the alliance access to hospital and system-level data that earlier iterations of plans did not include.

Planned actions listed in the plan include expanding use of a mobile public-health van to reach rural locations, emphasizing prevention and education campaigns, and an exploratory “assess and explore” grant to study family resource centers that would be parent-led and community-specific. Presenters said the full report runs about 180 pages and includes survey results, data and detailed goals.

Commissioners asked about interactive public dashboards; presenters said the alliance is building a regional dashboard and county-level interactive views so leadership and residents can track indicators. The board approved a motion to submit the document to the Minnesota Department of Health; the vote was taken by voice.

Staff and task-force members said the plan will be used as a living document: leadership and partner groups will meet regularly to update activities, coordinate events (for example WIC neighborhood clinics) and report outcomes into the dashboard the alliance is building.

The county will provide the required submission to the state; no county funding decision tied directly to adoption of the plan was made at the meeting.

The presentation and approval occurred during the Human Services Board portion of the meeting.