Coming this year: Children’s Minnesota is switching to Epic for EHR |
Children’s Minnesota is transitioning to a new electronic health record provider (EHR) and plans to go live with its new partner, Epic, in October 2026.
Epic will replace and integrate several legacy systems—Cerner (inpatient/outpatient EHR), eClinicalWorks (primary care clinics), Sunquest (lab) and AthenaHealth (revenue cycle)—into one platform.
The goal of the transition is to offer a modern, mobile-friendly experience for patients, families and referring providers. Once implemented, the new EHR will improve care coordination, reduce duplicative work, and simplify information.
Emily Chapman, MD, president and CEO of Children’s Minnesota, called the technology upgrade “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the care experience across our region.”
Children’s Minnesota is committed to being your partner in pediatric care. Count on us to join forces with you—and your patient families. Learn more about resources, tools and news for health professionals.
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Children’s Minnesota researchers studying effects of adding dinutuximab earlier in high risk neuroblastoma treatment | |
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ANBL2131 is a phase III clinical trial studying children or young adults up to 30 years old newly diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma to see if starting them on dinutuximab, a targeted immunotherapy, earlier in treatment alongside chemotherapy can improve outcomes such as event free and overall survival.
“This study is being conducted because standard therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma still fails too often,” said Herriage, associate medical director of cancer and blood disorders at Children’s Minnesota and nursing vice chair of the Children’s Oncology Group. “Many patients relapse or progress despite intensive treatment. The current standard of care is chemotherapy alone. Dinutuximab is currently used later in therapy, in post consolidation.”
The study will conclude when it reaches its target enrollment of approximately 478 patients, which historically takes about 4-5 years. After enrollment is complete, an additional several years will be needed to analyze the data and determine results.
Primary care providers play a crucial role in early identification of newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma patients. “Primary care providers are often the first providers to see these patients with symptoms such as abdominal pain, distension, bone pain, fatigue, anemia, weight loss and periorbital ecchymosis,” said Herriage. “Timely recognition and immediate referral to pediatric oncology helps children and young adults obtain the best outcomes.”
Read more about the clinical trial here. To refer a patient for enrollment in the trial, please contact Children’s Minnesota Physician Access at 866-755-2121.
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Tips to address concerns about vitamin K in newborns |
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A single intramuscular dose of vitamin K (IMVK) at birth virtually eliminates late vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB), one of the most devastating yet preventable newborn conditions. However, some parents are reluctant to administer IMVK at birth.
“Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone health,” said Megan Paulsen, MD, a neonatologist at Children’s Minnesota. “However, newborns enter the world with critically low levels. Breast milk, while an optimal source of nutrition, contains very little vitamin K. This creates a perfect physiologic setup for deficiency in the first six months of life.”
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VKDB is rare but severe. One in five affected infants die, and 40% of survivors experience long-term neurologic impairment, usually from intracranial hemorrhage. Late VKDB is virtually nonexistent in countries using universal IM prophylaxis. Without IMVK, infants have an 81-fold higher risk of late VKDB.
“IMVK given at birth is an effective, low-risk, high-value prophylactic intervention in pediatrics and aligns with other routine newborn care practices such as delayed cord clamping, skin-to-skin care and early breastfeeding,” said Dr. Paulsen.
Despite decades of evidence, vitamin K declination rates are rising nationally and locally, with some centers seeing declination more than double in the last five years. “Most parents act out of protection, not refusal of care,” said Dr. Paulsen. “Many simply misunderstand how serious VKDB can be because it is rare and invisible to most families.”
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How health care professionals can dispel concerns
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- Current U.S. formulations have no documented cases of severe illness or death.
- Local reactions are mild and temporary.
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Anaphylaxis is extraordinarily rare, essentially only described with IV administration in adults.
- Decades of research show no association with childhood cancer or other long-term health effects.
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2. IMVK is uniquely effective.
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- Oral vitamin K is not recommended in the U.S., and there is no licensed oral product.
- Breastfeeding, even with maternal dietary supplementation, cannot raise an infant’s vitamin K level enough to prevent VKDB.
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3. Language and empathy matter.
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- Counseling that validates parental autonomy, frames vitamin K as routine newborn care, and incorporates stories—not just statistics—builds trust.
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Using the term “declination” rather than “refusal” acknowledges parents as moral agents and aligns with communication best practices.
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Children’s Minnesota recently hosted a virtual Grand Rounds on vitamin K that took a deeper look at trends in vitamin K refusal and how providers can address them. Watch the recorded session.
The Children’s Minnesota neonatology program encompasses the largest high-risk neonatal care program in the Upper Midwest with almost 200 neonatal beds and 500+ neonatal care experts. Read more about the neonatal program.
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Neonatologist shares how Children’s Minnesota supports babies and families facing complicated pregnancies |
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In a wide-ranging pediatric health care webinar hosted by U.S. News & World Report, panelist Thomas George, MD, discussed how Children’s Minnesota supports families and their babies born prematurely and those diagnosed prenatally with complex medical conditions.
Virtual care providing support to community partners, patient education and plenty of empathy are just a few ways that Children’s Minnesota supports these complicated pregnancies, said Dr. George, the medical director of neonatal outreach for Children’s Minnesota.
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“We know that there are increasing areas of healthcare deserts, particularly in rural communities. We started our virtual care program to support care for newborns in community hospitals that has grown to 16 partner sites,” said Dr. George. “These are typically Level I sites, where low-risk deliveries are often happening. After they contact us, within an average of about three minutes, we’re on a video call with these hospitals offering support for the unexpectedly sick newborn at birth or unexpected situation of a preterm birth and arranging a transport to our system if needed.”
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Children’s Minnesota also features a home tube feeding program for babies who meet certain criteria, which allows newborns to go home sooner, interacting daily with a neonatologist after discharge. “We’ve shaved off the length of stay of three to five days to help families navigate these challenging times with as much support as we can,” Dr. George said.
Families also endure immense strain during what should be a time of hope. The evidence is sobering: divorce rates climb, and mental health challenges affect both birthing and non-gestational parents at alarming rates. “Supporting families through their journeys, with social workers, chaplains and others is crucial,” he said.
Watch the entire webinar here. Learn more about the neonatal program at Children’s Minnesota.
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