HHRI News & Press Releases
September 22, 2026 -- A transition is underway in the management of the nation's transplant data infrastructure. Publicis Sapient, a global digital business transformation company, is in the process of taking over fundamental elements of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) contract, from the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). The transition is currently in progress. The IT infrastructure transition is expected to be fully completed by December 1, 2026, with other contract element timelines yet to be determined.
SRTR is a vital national resource that supports the transplant community through comprehensive data analysis, with a core mission of improving patient outcomes and experience. It operates under a contract from the Division of Transplantation (DoT), Health Systems Bureau (HSB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The registry provides program-specific reports on transplant programs and organ procurement organizations, offering wide-ranging information to clinicians, researchers, and patients.
HHRI has been a cornerstone of medical research since 1952, supporting and overseeing research conducted at HCMC, the flagship acute care and teaching hospital of the Hennepin Healthcare System in downtown Minneapolis. As one of the largest medical research nonprofits in Minnesota, HHRI often ranks in the top ten percent nationally of institutions receiving research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The organization, through its Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG), has operated SRTR for over 15 years with a steadfast commitment to its mission of transforming health and health care for all through ethical research and meaningful community partnerships.
The transition from HHRI to Publicis Sapient is being conducted collaboratively to ensure a seamless transfer of responsibilities and the continued integrity of SRTR's operations. Both organizations are dedicated to ensuring that the registry continues to provide reliable, data-driven insights that are essential for the transplant community and the patients they serve.
Further updates will be provided as the transition progresses.
More HHRI Research Highlights
Sedative choice could improve outcomes for breathing tube patients
Doctors treating seriously ill patients in an emergency setting may want to give the sedative etomidate, rather than ketamine, while placing a breathing tube, according to a randomized trial published Dec. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Randomized Trial of Sedative Choice for Intubation (RSI) is the first multicenter…
Read More
Research study looks at improving treatments for trauma patients
Hennepin Healthcare is conducting a research study that will look at whether calcium, vasopressin, or both early in the course of treatment would help severely injured patients that lose a lot of blood survive their injuries. The CAlcium and VAsopressin following Injury Early Resuscitation (CAVALIER) trial will include approximately 1,050…
Read More
CDRG Re-Awarded United States Renal Data System (USRDS) Federal Contract
Minneapolis – The Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG) of the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) has been selected to continue administering the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) federal contract. The USRDS is a national registry that collects, analyzes, and distributes information about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States. This…
Read More
Hennepin Healthcare Researchers Seek Best Way to Place Patients on Breathing Machines
The procedure to place a severely ill patient on a breathing machine (intubation), can be high-risk. One in four severely ill patients undergoing intubation in the Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit experiences serious problems with blood pressure or oxygen levels during this procedure. Some of these risks may be…
Read More
Reentry and Health Experts Release Roadmap for Evaluating Medicaid Waivers to Promote Safe and Health Reentry from Incarceration to Communities
New Guide from Transitions Clinic Network, The SEICHE Center for Health and Justice and The Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Lab at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute aligns with the CMS National Quality Strategy San Francisco, CA—Today the Transitions Clinic Network (TCN), along with its partners at The SEICHE Center and…
Read More
Doxycycline prophylaxis use low and did not prevent STIs among cisgender women
Researchers from the University of Washington (UW), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) published results in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results of the study have been highly anticipated, as this is the first study of doxycycline PEP among cisgender women, following multiple…
Read More
A Learning Health System to increase organ donation and equity in populations experiencing health disparities
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute awarded NIH grant, in partnership with LifeSource, to study a Learning Health System model that could improve community trust and reduce persistent disparities in donation and transplantation. MINNEAPOLIS – Native Americans and other underserved communities suffering from organ failure are less likely to receive a life-saving…
Read More
Researchers adapt health system COVID-19 collaboration to track near-real-time trends in visits for substance use
Detailed, timely data will inform equity-driven approaches to the drug overdose epidemic In a study released this week, researchers at Hennepin Healthcare and other Minnesota health systems describe how a COVID-19 collaboration across Minnesota health systems was adapted to monitor near-real-time trends in substance use–related hospital and emergency department (ED)…
Read More
Doxycycline does not prevent STIs among cisgender women
Researchers from the University of Washington (UW), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) announced results at CROI from a clinical trial demonstrating that doxycycline taken after sex does not prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – chlamydia or gonorrhea – among cisgender women. The dPEP…
Read More
Hennepin Healthcare investigators study game to help people quit smoking
Minneapolis, Minn. – Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute is testing an innovative way to help people quit smoking – by letting them bet on themselves and win real money. It’s part of a new game called QuitBet and it’s being funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant administered…
Read More
People who experience homelessness face earlier and greater risk of death, report finds
Death rate among those experiencing homelessness is triple that of general population Governor’s historic housing stability package invests in solutions to support Minnesotans experiencing homelessness across the housing spectrum People who experience homelessness in Minnesota die at much higher rates than the general population, according to a new report produced…
Read More
Hennepin Healthcare asking for community input on local trauma research study for blood clotting agent
Excessive bleeding (bleeding out) is the most common cause of preventable death after someone experiences an injury. Researchers at Hennepin Healthcare are asking for the community’s input on whether they should participate in an international study to see if a blood clotting drug – given soon after arrival in the…
Read More
Incarceration of parent is associated with worse access to health care for millions of U.S. children, new study shows
According to a new study, children exposed to parental incarceration had worse access to primary care and more unmet dental and mental health care needs than their peers, even after accounting for income, insurance status, rurality, and other important factors. With the United States having the highest incarceration rate in…
Read More
Dr. Olutayo Alese receives HHRI minority and women postdoctoral appointment program award funded by 3M
Minneapolis, Minn. – Olutayo Alese, PhD, MSc, MPH, has received Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute’s (HHRI) most recent Biomedical Research and Career Development Award that supports the training of minority and women postdoctoral and junior faculty researchers. Dr. Alese holds a doctorate in anatomy and previously conducted research in the role of…
Read More
Focus on global health outcomes shouldn’t exclude jails and prisons
Minneapolis, Minn. – The state of healthcare access and quality in jails and prisons should not be excluded from international efforts to understand and improve healthcare coverage for vulnerable populations, according to a recent publication in The Lancet Public Health authored by Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc, Division Chief of General…
Read More
Hennepin Healthcare investigators study game to help people quit smoking
Minneapolis, Minn. – Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute is testing an innovative way to help people quit smoking – by letting them bet on themselves and win real money. It’s part of a new game called QuitBet and it’s being funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant administered…
Read More
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute receives funding from 3M to promote diversity among research scientists
Minneapolis, Minn. – Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) received a grant from 3M to support the training of postdoctoral and junior faculty researchers. HHRI’s Research and Career Development Award is designed to extend the impact of STEM educational curricula by providing a clear pathway to career opportunities in related fields, especially…
Read More
U.S. Kidney Transplant Survival Rates Continue to Improve
Long-term survival rates of kidney transplant patients in the U.S. have increased over the last three decades, but there are opportunities to further improve these outcomes, according to a review article published today in The New England Journal of Medicine. For many patients with end-stage kidney disease, transplants are a…
Read More
Walz, Flanagan Announce Groundbreaking Partnership Between State of Minnesota, Health Care Systems on Race and Ethnicity Data Collection
— State announces additional, targeted strategies to promote equity in vaccination — The Walz-Flanagan Administration announced publication of vaccination data by race and ethnicity made possible through the groundbreaking partnership between the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Electronic Health Record (EHR) Consortium. This unique and innovative collaboration between public…
Read More
HHRI Awarded Continuation of SRTR Contract
Minneapolis, Minn. – The Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG) of the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) has renewed its federal contract to operate the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). Among its key functions, the SRTR evaluates the status of the nation’s solid organ transplant system and provides analytic support to…
Read More