# Minnesota Department of Health *State health agency of Minnesota, established 1977* The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is the public health agency of the State of [[Minnesota]]. Its remit covers disease control and prevention, environmental health, public policy and the regulation of health care providers. It also runs an immunization program and reports on the quality of clinical care in the state's hospitals and clinics.[^1] Much of the agency's documented output concerns PFAS contamination in the East Metro. MDH's own chronology records that 3M disclosed PFAS disposal locations to the MPCA in 2002–2004.[^2] Over the same period, MDH's health-based value for PFOA fell from 7 µg/L in 2002 to 0.0000079 µg/L in January 2024.[^2] The agency's 2008 biomonitoring pilot detected PFCs in 100% of participants.[^3] By its own statement, its *East Metro Birth Outcomes* report studied only births and cancer.[^4] MDH also publishes refugee health statistics. Its *2023 Refugee Health Report* counts primary and secondary refugee arrivals by county.[^5] ## Overview MDH has four offices in Saint Paul. Its seven offices outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area are in Bemidji, Duluth, Fergus Falls, [[Mankato]], Marshall, Rochester and [[St. Cloud]].[^1] The department dates from 1977, when it replaced the state board of health; that board had operated since 1872 and was abolished.[^1] On September 15, 2021, MDH released Docket, a no-cost mobile app through which consumers can reach the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) system.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who MDH reports refugee health data. The placement of refugees is administered by the [[Minnesota Department of Human Services]] through its [[Refugee Resettlement Programs Office]], working together with voluntary resettlement agencies.[^6] [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]] governs executive-branch state agencies. It does not reach counties, cities or school districts.[^7] ### What MDH's *Brief Update on Cancer Occurrence in East Metro Communities* (February 2018) covered eight communities. It used data from 1988 to 2012, and some analyses were carried to 2016.[^8] The report found the following elevations:[^8] - female breast cancer, 7% elevated in Washington County and 12% elevated in [[Oakdale]]; - melanoma, 13% elevated in Washington County; - CLL, 28% elevated in Washington County. The report made 12 childhood-cancer comparisons. One was significant: a 56% excess among children and young people aged 0–19 in Oakdale for 1999–2014.[^8] The report states that its findings "cannot be used to either identify or refute potential adverse health effects" from environmental contamination.[^8] MDH's East Metro biomonitoring work consists of three projects, beginning in 2008.[^3] The 2008 pilot detected PFCs in 100% of participants.[^3] The 2014 round tested blood from more than 300 residents of Oakdale, [[Lake Elmo]] and [[Cottage Grove]].[^3] In that round, long-term residents who had been exposed before filtration began in 2006 showed levels that were declining but still elevated.[^3] The *East Metro Birth Outcomes* report examined three periods: 2001–2005, 2006–2010 and 2011–2015. It found "a lot of variation but the small differences are not outside of what we would expect."[^4] The report states that MDH studied only births and cancer. It says the agency had "not collected public health data on other types of potential health effects reported in the scientific literature, such as liver and kidney effects, thyroid disease, or immune system changes."[^4] MDH issued a formal response to a peer-reviewed counterpart study of birth outcomes.[^9][^10] ### When MDH's history of its PFAS activities records that, in 2002–2004, 3M disclosed three PFAS disposal locations to the MPCA: "the former Washington county Landfill, the 3M-Woodbury Disposal Site, and the 3M-Oakdale Disposal Site."[^2] In 2004, seven wells in Lake Elmo near the former [[Washington County Landfill]] tested positive for PFOA.[^2] MDH's health-based value for PFOA was 7 µg/L in 2002. By January 2024 it was 0.0000079 µg/L.[^2] The 2018 cancer update came after these disclosures and well results.[^8] The biomonitoring rounds of 2008 and 2014 also followed them.[^3] ### How many In calendar 2023, MDH's refugee health report counts 169 primary refugee arrivals in Stearns County. The same report counts 1,123 in Hennepin County and 971 in Ramsey County.[^5] The report also places Stearns County among the state's top destinations for secondary arrivals, meaning people who relocate to Minnesota after initial resettlement elsewhere.[^5] In the East Metro, MDH's 2014 biomonitoring round sampled more than 300 residents.[^3] Its 2018 cancer update made 12 childhood-cancer comparisons, one of which was significant.[^8] ## See also - [[Minnesota Department of Human Services]] - [[Refugee Resettlement Programs Office]] - [[Minn. Stat. § 43A.191]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Minnesota Department of Health* (revision 1368463935, retrieved 2026-10-25) — the agency's responsibilities, office locations, 1977 establishment after the abolition of the 1872 board of health, and the September 15, 2021 Docket release. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Department_of_Health [^2]: Minnesota Department of Health, *History of MDH PFAS activities* (undated web page) — 3M's 2002–2004 disclosure of disposal locations to the MPCA, the 2004 Lake Elmo well results, and the PFOA health-based-value chronology from 7 µg/L (2002) to 0.0000079 µg/L (January 2024). https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/topics/history.html [^3]: Minnesota Department of Health, *East Metro biomonitoring* (undated web page) — three projects beginning in 2008; PFC detection in 100% of participants in the 2008 pilot; 2014 blood testing of more than 300 residents of Oakdale, Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove; declining but still elevated levels in long-term residents exposed before the 2006 filtration. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/biomonitoring/projects/pfas.html [^4]: Minnesota Department of Health, *East Metro Birth Outcomes* (undated web report) — the 2001–2005, 2006–2010 and 2011–2015 study periods, the "small differences" finding, and the statement that only births and cancer were studied. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/tracking/reports/eastmetrobirths.html [^5]: Minnesota Department of Health, *2023 Refugee Health Report* (2023 data) — primary refugee arrivals in Stearns (169), Hennepin (1,123) and Ramsey (971) counties, and Stearns County's rank among destinations for secondary arrivals. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/rih/stats/23rhrpt.pdf [^6]: Minnesota Department of Human Services, *Refugee arrival map* (undated web page) — the Refugee Resettlement Programs Office's administration of placement together with voluntary resettlement agencies. https://mn.gov/dhs/resettlement/news-reports-updates/arrival-map/ [^7]: Office of the Revisor of Statutes, *Minn. Stat. § 43A.191* (current text) — the statute's coverage of executive-branch state agencies, and its non-application to counties, cities and school districts. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/43A.191 [^8]: Minnesota Department of Health, *Brief Update on Cancer Occurrence in East Metro Communities* (Feb. 2018) — eight communities; 1988–2012 data with some analyses to 2016; the breast cancer, melanoma and CLL elevations; one significant childhood-cancer comparison out of 12; MDH's caveat on interpretation. https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/mcrs/docs/rpteastmetro.pdf [^9]: Minnesota Department of Health, *Response to peer-reviewed Washington County birth-outcomes study* (undated) — MDH's formal response to the peer-reviewed counterpart study. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/tracking/docs/birthoutcomeswactyresponse.pdf [^10]: Peer-reviewed journal article, *doi:10.1186/s12940-020-00591-0* (2020) — the peer-reviewed counterpart study to which MDH responded. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-020-00591-0