Leading Change: The Changing Demographic and Economic Environment

In their joint presentation, Drs. Gillaspy and Stinson noted that Minnesota’s economy has been very successful.  They pointed out that while Minnesota ranks highly in many health outcomes measures, substantial differences exist in actual health outcomes, particularly among ethnic groups.  They emphasized that the aging of baby boomers will profoundly affect demand for, supply of, and delivery of health services; at the same time, the state’s labor force growth is projected to slow sharply.  The traditional college age population will begin to decline within five years, meaning higher education will need to turn to nontraditional sources, such as populations of color, for students.  Drs. Gillaspy and Stinson concluded by saying that while Minnesotans will earn more and be wealthier in 2014, health care spending and costs are a major concern for the future.   They emphasized that productivity improvements will be key.

View the presentation

View the Dr. Gillaspy and Dr. Stinson slides (PDF)