Allina Hospitals & Clinics' new electronic health record system will underpin the anticipated creative thinking at the health system's new $100 million Center for Innovation.

Allina officials announced Wednesday that the healthcare system would be creating the center to support innovations in both clinical and population health research.

The center, officials said, was prompted by Allina's business strategy and vision and in response to community leaders who called on Allina to do more to transform the health of communities.

In 2008, Allina won the Davies Award from the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society after completing a $250 million implementation of an electronic health record and practice management system that linked eight hospitals and 65 clinics.

The technology, developed by Wisconsin-based Epic Systems, will play a role in the center's three inaugural projects:

• The Heart of New Ulm, which aims to reduce heart attacks in the community of New Ulm, Minn. Nearly 90 percent of New Ulm residents are New Ulm Medical Center patients and therefore are part of Allina's electronic medical record system. This level of participation by one community in the electronic record system provides a database for understanding population health and gives Allina the ability to identify patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, ensure they receive early and appropriate interventions and track their care over time, Allina executives said. Combined with public education and awareness, the project is designed to go beyond identifying the causes of heart disease to focus on early intervention and prevention. The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation is partnering with Allina on the project.
• The Backyard Project, which will encompass the Phillips and Powderhorn neighborhoods of Minneapolis to improve population health. The project will bring together residents, researchers, policymakers and community leaders to help forge new models for improving health among residents and understanding how medical, social, educational and economic factors are interdependent and have an effect on health in Allina's own "backyard" neighborhoods.
• The Allina Center for Patient Safety, which will work on improving the quality of care and reducing the cost of medical errors. The Center for Patient Safety will be a source of knowledge and information to strengthen cultures of safety across Allina. Through the center, Allina will build a stronger focus on quality and safety.

"Allina understands that to make a meaningful impact on health, healthcare organizations must move beyond the walls of their medical centers and clinics," said Steven Schroeder, MD, distinguished professor of health and healthcare at the University of California San Francisco and an adviser to Allina leaders on plans for the center. "Organizations like Allina must partner with communities to advance the latest thinking on community health and optimal treatment and care and conduct research to determine what is effective. The center will do just that."

The Allina board of directors authorized a $50 million investment, with $10 million to be invested annually over the next five years. Allina plans to raise an additional $50 million over five years from private corporations and foundations and through sponsored research and grant-making organizations.

"If we are to tackle the challenges facing our healthcare system, it is critical for health care organizations, such as Allina, to partner with communities to improve health and promote innovative approaches to care," said Rep. Tom Huntley, who represents Duluth in the Minnesota Legislature. "The fact Allina has stepped up speaks volumes to the values and vision of their leadership."