MIS & Data Unit Communications

3/20/25 - Evaporated Milk Follow-up - ACTION ITEM!

A new document, Evaporated Milk Follow-up – Action Item (PDF), is now available. We are providing this document since we received some questions about the changes that need to be made for participants currently receiving evaporated milk. It contains information and scenarios that will hopefully help clarify what you need to do and how to do it.

3/17/25 - Issues with Login on Thursday, March 13

On Wednesday evening, March 12, Gainwell (our Maintenance and Operations contractor) updated the SSL (Security Certificates) on the WINNIE servers. This should have been transparent to all users, but some users had difficulty logging in Thursday morning.

Gainwell determined that this was due to caching issues, which had maintained the older certificate for some WINNIE users resulting in issues logging in. This issue has been resolved. However, if you continue to have difficulty logging in, please call the Help Desk (1-800-488-8799, press 2, 2).

To mitigate the issue next year, we will perform the update on a weekend and give local agencies information to pass to their local IT prior to updating the Security Certificate to help minimize issues.

Thank you for your patience as we work through new processes as issues arise with our new system.

3/13/25 - Evaporated Milk - ACTION ITEM!

Overview

Beginning in June, participants will be able to choose the type of milk or soy beverage they want while at the store. For example, instead of their benefits specifically listing Fat Free milk (evaporated), it will list Fat Free/Skim Milk and they’ll be able to purchase fat free evaporated milk if they want it.

Unlike all the other milk food items (soy, goat milk, powdered milk, etc.), evaporated milk is issued in cans instead of gallons. To be able to make this change, it needs to be issued in gallons like other milk food items, and because of this the current evaporated milk food items will be inactive beginning June 7th.

Issuing Benefits to Participants with Evaporated Milk

Starting now, Local Agencies should use the Selected LDTU function on the Issue Benefits page in WINNIE to change the Last Date to Use (LDTU) to the 6th for all new or current households with a member being issued evaporated milk.

How to change a household’s LDTU is reviewed in the WINNIE training module, Issue Benefits 2B – Manual Cycle Adjustments (Table of Contents: Selected LDTU 1 - Cycle Adjust).

• Issue the current evaporated milk food item on all sets of benefits with a Printed First Date to Use (PFDTU) on or before June 6.
• Issue the regular milk food item on all sets of benefits with a PFDTU after June 6.

Use Infoview to Identify Participants with Evaporated Milk

Agencies can use the FOOD & FORMULA ITEMS ISSUED BY PFDTU Infoview report found in the INFOVIEW TEMPLATES >> Food & Formula folder to identify participants currently being issued evaporated milk.

Completing the prompts:

• Enter 3-digit Agency ID: your Agency ID
• Enter Food Item ID(s) – separate with semi-colon and no spaces: 15;17;18;41
• Enter Start Date: 3/5/25
• Enter End Date: 6/6/25

Enter a Priority Alert to inform staff that the household will need to have their LDTU changed to the 6th if issued evaporated milk on benefits with a PFDTU on or before June 6.

Questions?

Please contact the MN Help Desk (1-800-488-8799, press 2, 2) if any questions about adjusting household cycles.

3/13/25 - WINNIE Training Database Refresh – UNAVAILABLE 3/18

WINNIE Training will be UNAVAILABLE on Tuesday, March 18, for a refresh of the database.

All existing training accounts will be deleted as part of the refresh process. Any agencies wanting to use WINNIE Training after Tuesday, March 18th, will need to contact the MN Help Desk (1-800-488-8799, press 2, 2 or mnhelpdesk@gainwelltechnologies.com) to have their agency’s training account re-created.

Training refreshes will occur each quarter. After each refresh, if using WINNIE Training, your agency will need to contact the Help Desk.

2/24/25 - Infoview Reports Status Update

This information was only sent to Infoview users.

Revised Infoview Reports

Most of the Infoview reports that have been submitted for corrections with WINNIE have been completed, and these revised reports are listed below.

Any reports that have State Use, Local Use, new certs, certifier/staff IDs, race/ethnicity formulas, and contact types will most likely need to be revised before using with WINNIE. In the next couple of months, we will begin updating other Infoview reports, as well as attempting to combine reports with similar criteria and removing those that are obsolete or provide information now available on the Local Agency Portal.

All revised reports, and how they were revised, can be found on the Infoview Reports Revisions and Corrections page on the MDH WIC website.

If you are using a report that needs updating and hasn’t been revised yet, please continue to use the Local Agency Reports & Data Request to inform us. If you already submitted a report request that hasn’t been completed yet, we are still working on the few left and we should be able to have them completed by early March.

Many of the Guidance Documents for these reports have not been updated and are no longer posted. It is a priority for us to get them revised and re-posted as soon as possible.

Reports with Local Use Questions/Answers

When our Information System was HuBERT, we had to create duplicate reports with the only difference being a specific Local Use Question because the most recent answers were stored in individual tables based on the question position (1-6). Now that we are using WINNIE, answers (if selected in WINNIE or HuBERT) are no longer stored in these individual tables, but instead in just one “Answer” table. This is why the Local Use answers are not displaying if selected in WINNIE and why all Local Use reports will need to be revised.

This change, however, also provides us with an opportunity to combine reports that are the same except for the Local Use Question. Due to how answers are now stored, we can pull the answers to any question, as well as add that column to any existing report, and you have the option of whether to pull Local Use answers into the report or not.

Since these reports will work differently, we have created a reference for how to use reports that have Local Use answers in their output: Using Reports with Local Use Answers (PDF).

Questions?

Any questions about Infoview reports? Please contact sarah.mallberg@state.mn.us. 

2/20/25 - Windows 11

The state is currently planning the transition of state-owned computers to Windows 11 since Windows 10 will be unsupported beginning October 2025.

All agencies should plan to implement Windows 11 prior to October to avoid the security risks associated with continuing to use Windows 10 once no longer supported.

Complete Your Hardware Inventory
The first step in transitioning to Windows 11 is to complete your hardware inventory by February 28. This needs to be completed by all agencies, even those who have only locally owned machines, since it inventories all hardware (signature pads, scanners, etc.).

State and Locally Owned Computers
If your agency is still using both state and locally owned computers, you should return all state-owned computers at this time. Agencies should only be using locally owned computers in this instance, not a mix of state and local owned. Contact the Help Desk (1-800-488-8799, press 2, 2 or mnhelpdesk@gainwelltechnologies.com) to request return labels for all state-owned machines.

Locally Owned Computers
If your agency uses locally owned computers, you can transition to Windows 11 at any time. Contact your local IT to assist with your transition to Windows 11.

State Owned Computers
If your agency uses state owned computers, we will provide more information and instructions for installation of Windows 11 once we’ve confirmed our Windows 11 transition plan.

If you are planning to start using locally owned computers, the technical specifications and requirements for WINNIE can be found in the Using Locally Owned Computers for WIC (PDF) document found on the WIC Hardware page of the MDH WIC website.

2/20/25 - Minnesota WIC App Reminders

As of Tuesday, February 25, the My MN WIC App will no longer work, and all app users will need to update to the new Minnesota WIC App.

Beginning Tuesday, if app users open the old version, “The App must be updated before further use” message will no longer display since the old version will no longer connect to the WIC database. They’ll be able to open the app but will not be able to use any of its functions.

A couple of reminders:

• Users should delete the previous version before installing the new version. The icon for the new version is the same.
• Users will need to re-register for the new version of the app.
• Older phones that aren't able to update to iOS version 16.0 will not be able to use the new Minnesota WIC App.

More information is available on the MDH WIC website on the Minnesota WIC App page.

2/7/25 - IMPORTANT! An Error Received during Change Household ID Allows for an Over-Issuance of Benefits

If you receive the following ERROR Message during a Change Household ID:

Do not close the error message to reattempt the Change Household ID process. Call the MN Help Desk immediately (1-800-488-8799 - press 2, 1) for assistance.

When the above error is received, each attempt to finish the Change Household ID will result in an over-issuance of benefits.

Updated Information: This error is due to recovering benefits in Adjust Benefits prior to starting Change Household ID mode. All recovery or voiding of benefits should be completed in Step 4: Adjust Benefits while in Change Household ID mode and not prior to starting the household ID change. This issue has been added to the Transition Guide (PDF).

1/27/25 - WIC Local Agency Portal

Overview

The WIC Local Agency Portal (LAP) is a SharePoint site that will provide access to certain forms specific to Local Agency staff that are currently on the MDH WIC (public) website, as well as reports that include small numbers and private data. Many of the LAP data reports are similar to those currently found on the public website but include small numbers and identifiable data.

The LAP reports will provide data for smaller agencies that is suppressed on the public pages, while larger agencies will benefit from the ability to look at data monthly as well as yearly. In addition to reporting by county of CHB, like the public versions, many of the LAP reports can also report by agency or grantee.

Accessing the Local Agency Portal

The LAP will soon be available to agency coordinators and breastfeeding coordinators. You will be required to use your own individual login to access the LAP and you will receive an email with your access information within the next couple week if you haven’t already.

We will inform you once you can request additional users for the LAP. Please watch the Thursday emails from the MIS & Data Unit for more information.

Accessing Some Interactive Dashboards

In the Reports and Data library of the Local Agency Portal, some of the interactive data has an additional layer of security and will require you to sign in to the MDH Tableau server. Once signed in, all interactive content is available for the rest of the browser session.

Your Tableau User ID has already been created for you and is the same email address you used to access the LAP.

Logging into the Tableau Server for the First Time

When you see the Tableau login message, click the “Sign in to Tableau Server” button.

The first time you log into Tableau Server, enter your email address, and click the “Forgot your password?” link.

Type your email address into the Username field and click the “Send Password Reset Email” button.

You will receive an email within a minute or two with a link to change your password. Click the link in the email.

A new browser window will open. Enter your new password, enter the same password into the Confirm password field, and click the Reset Password link.

A Tableau Server browser window will open. Close it and return to the LAP browser window.

Log into the Tableau Server using your email address and your new password.

Once you’ve logged in for one dashboard, all the dashboards should display for the rest of your browser session.

1/16/25 - Revised Infoview Reports

We continue to learn of more changes to the WINNIE database, and some issues with those changes, as we revise Infoview reports. Revising for changes and correcting for issues adds more complexity to these reports. For most reports, we can create a version that can be used regardless of whether the contact was completed in HuBERT or WINNIE.

However, for a few already complex reports, or reports that provide only current/recent information, we will create a WINNIE-only version. If a HuBERT version is still required, as is the case with the complex CERTIFICATIONS COMPLETED BY ONE STAFF PERSON (SOD) report, we will also create a HuBERT version.

We will add “- WINNIE Only” or “- HuBERT Only” to the title of the report if it can only be run for contacts completed while in WINNIE or HuBERT.

Please refer to the Infoview Reports Revisions and Corrections page for up-to-date information about revised Infoview reports. (NOTE: Previously corrected reports that need further revision have been removed from this page.)

In Infoview, before running a report, remember to compare the date of the report template found in the INFOVIEW TEMPLATES topic folder to the version you have saved in your MY FAVORITES. If the report template has a more recent date than your version, please re-save or re-copy/re-paste the newer version to your MY FAVORITES before using.

We apologize for having to revise some of these reports multiple times and appreciate your patience as we continue to correct numerous unexpected Infoview report changes and issues.

If you have a new report request, please submit the Local Agency Reports & Data Request.

If you have any questions about a report request you already submitted or need a report you already submitted to be completed as a priority, please contact Sarah Mallberg at sarah.mallberg@state.mn.us.

1/9/25 - WIC App Updates

The Minnesota Department of Health WIC Program is modernizing the My MN WIC App to enhance functionality and user experience. The new “Minnesota WIC App” will introduce various features, including:

• An updated interface.
• The ability to switch between English and Spanish.
• Improved tools for participants to locate WIC-approved vendors by sorting through stores and pharmacies.
• A feature to view participant certifications.

The app will be available to Android and iOS users on February 1, 2025.

Important to Note: Users will need to delete the old app and download the new Minnesota WIC App from Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS), as it will not update automatically. All users will also have to re-register.

A demonstration video walking through the new app, along with other training materials (brochure, sticky note, and QR codes), will be provided to local agencies and made available on the MDH WIC website ahead of the release. If you have any questions, please reach out to tobi.afolabi@state.mn.us.

12/12/24 - WINNIE Training Refresh and Accounts

We will refresh the WINNIE Training environment quarterly to ensure the database has participants that can be used for training. When refreshed, all existing training accounts will be deleted as part of the refresh process. Any agencies wanting to use WINNIE Training after a scheduled Training refresh, will need to contact the MN Help Desk (1-800-488-8799, press 2, 2 or mnhelpdesk@gainwelltechnologies.com) to have their agency’s training account re-created.

11/21/24 - WINNIE Environments

No Reports Environment in WINNIE

WINNIE does not have a Reports Environment that can be accessed by users, but there is still a reports database that is used by Infoview. Local Agency reporting needs were assessed prior to WINNIE roll-out and all HuBERT reports agencies indicated they were using were recreated in Infoview.

Year-to-Date Participation
Agencies can use the Year-to-Date Participation report found in INFOVIEW TEMPLATES >> Counts >> Monthly Participation folder for an up-to-date count by grantee, agency, and clinic (reference: Year-to-Date Participation – Infoview Guidance Document (PDF)). Reminder: until End-of-Month is run, participants not issued benefits (fully breastfed infants < 6 months old and some-breastfeeding women > 6 months postpartum) will not be included in the count.

Closed-out participation counts are also available on the Monthly Participation page of the MDH WIC website, including the FFY Cumulative Monthly Summary by Grantee and the interactive Monthly Participation for FFY 2024.

Year-to-Date Outlays
An Outlays reports has been developed using Data Direct. For now, if you require this information, please submit a Local Agency Reports & Data Request.

WINNIE Training Environment

We will be turning on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in the WINNIE Training environment on Friday, November 22. Agencies that have a general shared email account associated with the online application will be setup so that the MFA code is sent to that account. If your agency has a specific staff member receiving the online application emails, please provide a general county email account to Nicole Danberry (nicole.danberry@state.mn.us).

WINNIE Office Environment

In preparation for WINNIE, we asked Local Agency Coordinators to indicate who they thought would need access to the WINNIE Office environment. However, after assessing the need for this environment we have determined access to the State Office environment is not necessary since the older information is rarely needed.

The WINNIE Office environment is similar to the now retired Reports environment in that it shares the same database and includes all data that the Minnesota WIC program maintains.

The WINNIE Production environment has this same data with a few exceptions.

Only 3 years of the following information is available in the WINNIE Production environment:

• Scanned Documents
• Participant Signatures
• CPA Signatures
• Benefit History Details

Accessing Data Not Found in Production
If an instance arises where your agency requires information that is not found in the Production Environment, please contact the MN Help Desk for assistance (1-800-488-8799, press 2, 2 or mnhelpdesk@gainwelltechnologies.com).