by Tony Chen

Usually it's California that gets all the attention - the governator, progressive policies, Kaiser, and 4 of the 17 best hospitals in the nation. Nonetheless, California, in all it's glory, is fairly average when it comes to health.

One state is always near the top of the list - Minnesota. They are the #1 healthiest state according to the UHC Foundation and 3rd healthiest state in the country according to Morgan Quitno. The key metrics behind these rankings are things like: cardiovascular death rates, premature death rate, uninsured population %, children in poverty %, total mortality rate, infant mortality rate, motor vehicle deaths, and a high rate of high school graduation.

Beyond the healthier culture that seems to pervade Minnesotians, Minnesota seems to be a hotbed for medical and healthcare innovation - everything from medical devices to Mayo to retail clinics. Here are a few more facts about Minnesota:
- Largest Bridges to Excellence Program in the country (780,000 lives).
- "Smart Buy Alliance" - a collaboration between the state, union groups, big & small businesses to improve quality and affordability of healthcare (thought results have been slow).
- State employee health plan boasts a zero-premium increase for 3 straight years.
- Of course, it helps to have great hospitals like Mayo, Abbott Northwestern, and Park Nicollet.

So what is it about Minnesota anyway? What can we learn from them?