State Hospital Records Research Request

State Hospital Records Research Request Service For this research service, library staff will search for one patient in the records of one Minnesota state institution. State Hospital Records Requests typically take twelve weeks to complete. Price Index Search: $5 Extended Search: $20 MNHS Members receive 10% discount at checkout Processing fee The price of this service includes a non-refundable processing fee of $5. This is not an additional charge; however, if your order is cancelled for any reason, the Minnesota Historical Society will retain that amount. Turnaround Research is typically completed and sent via email within twelve weeks. About this Research Service This service as two levels, an Index Search, and a Full Case File Request. Index Search Staff will search in the card, ledger/register, and digital indexes for one patient in one specified hospital, and send a digital copy or transcription of the materials found.  We will send the best possible copy, but some items may be illegible due to writing or condition. Some information in indexes was recorded using institutional codes and/or abbreviations. Index materials of this nature include varying types of information. Most include: Full Name Admission Date Discharge Date Patient Number Some may include information about: County of admission Health (vaccines, diagnosis, etc.) Death (if the patient died while at the institution) Parole or escape Payment or finances Family contacts Other hospital admissions or transfers There is an Index Range listed with each hospital's name in the drop-down options. Do not order index searches outside of a hospital’s date range, as there will be no substantive information available and your order will be cancelled upon submission. Full Case File Request Staff will pull the extended patient records for one patient in one specified hospital, and send a digital copy or transcription of the materials found. For this search, you will need to have the patient's name, their patient ID number, and their admission date. If you do not have the patient ID number and admission date, please order the Index Search first.   The records available for extended searches vary greatly by institution and date. They may include: Statistical Records (short version of case record) Admission/Discharge records Cemetery/Death records Case Books Commitment Papers Other record types These records may or may not include a formal diagnosis or doctor’s notes.  Modern case files and modern medical records are typically not available.  Cambridge State Hospital records are not available as part of either the Index or Extended Search services. Please contact the library for more information Restrictions on access: Patient records contain private information and are restricted for 75 years from the date of the last entry in the record or file. Under specific circumstances, information in the files may be subject to longer and more strict restrictions. Please note: Information in files can stretch well beyond the term of hospitalization and privacy rules apply to any 3rd parties as well as the main subject.  Questions? Email: reference@mnhs.org Mail: MNHS Library, attn: State Hospital Record Request, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102 For More Information Restricted Records FAQ Page State Institutions Research Guide: State Hospital and Tuberculosis Hospital pages