Minnesota's best practices will be shared

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As a member of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees, Joanell Dyrstad looks forward to sharing with the rest of the country her knowledge about Minnesota's health care innovations.

"In Minnesota, we have excellent health care," Dyrstad said. "We've done many things other states are looking to do — particularly quality-of-care issues."

Quality-of-care initiatives include emphasis on trying to eliminate errors, she said.

"Even in Red Wing," she said, "every person in the (operating) room has the authority to stop a procedure — a 'pause for the cause'" if they believe it's necessary to prevent an error or improve care.

"There is great sharing of knowledge," Dyrstad said.

That sharing of information helps improve overall health care for everybody.

"We really are advanced in quite a few areas," she said.

She is proud of MinnesotaCare, which started when she was lieutenant governor and Arne Carlson was governor. It provides insurance care on a sliding-fee scale so Minnesota has fewer uninsured.

"We have really good cooperation among CEOs of leading health facilities," she said, which is not the case in many states.

"Health care is an ever-changing field," she said, particularly as technology develops.

Constantly improving health care — and improving the way people take responsibility for their own health — are part of her long-term mission.

Dyrstad believes that assuring quality health care means "really making sure that a certain protocol is identified as the best way to deliver health care."

"We must promote that consistently, across the country," she said. "Spreading that knowledge around" — learning and sharing — is something she will promote on the national stage.

At the same time, Dyrstad sees another important role: "I will be a voice for keeping the rural health care system alive and well."

Dyrstad will be the sole trustee on the national board who is neither a CEO nor a physician.

"I will represent hospital trustees around the country who are not employees of any of the organizations, not health professionals," Dyrstad said.

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