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Minnesota

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Minnesota is called the land of 10,000 lakes and gets its name from the Dakota word minisota, meaning “water that reflects the sky.”  Minnesota covers 79,610 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 5,167,101 people - 1,413,512 living in rural Minnesota (USDA-ERS). Saint Paul, the state capital, is located in the southern region of the state.  The largest cities are Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington, Duluth, and Rochester. According to the 2005 Census, 89.6% of the state’s population is white, 4.3 % is Black/African-American, 1.2% is American Indian, 3.4% is Asian, and 3.6% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.

There are 132 hospitals in Minnesota, 86 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, 2007). The state has 79 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals.  There are 72 Rural Health Clinics in Minnesota, and 12 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 67 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2004).  Most Minnesotans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 8% of its residents lack any health insurance. 

According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Minnesotans in 2005 was $37,290, although rural per-capita income lagged at $28,844.  2004 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 9.0% exists in rural Minnesota, compared to a 7.7% level in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 17% of the rural population has not completed high school, while only 10.1% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Minnesota is at 4.6% while in urban Minnesota it is at 4.0% (USDA-ERS, 2006).

For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.

Data Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau: State & County Quick Facts

USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets

North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center

Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts  

Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List

State Contacts

Directory of Rural Health Contacts: Minnesota
Contact information for people and organizations in Minnesota with an interest in rural health.

Organizations

2-1-1 Minnesota Information & Referral
State/regional organization
Minnesota became the third in the nation to offer statewide 2-1-1 service.

Apple Tree Dental
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides needed care to vulnerable population groups and people with special access needs in Minnesota.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation partners with organizations to foster healthy behaviors and improve access to health care.

Center for Rural Policy and Development
Academic/Research
Based in St. Peter, Minnesota, this research organization is providing its policy makers with an unbiased evaluation of issues from a rural perspective.

Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF)
State/regional organization
Dedicated to improving health and access to health care services in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

HUD Community Development Block Grants: Minnesota
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.

Midwest Assistance Program (MAP)
State/regional organization
Aims to help rural communities in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming to improve their environment, quality of life and be self-sustaining.

Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Dedicated to improving quality through education, public policy advocacy and member services, provide leadership and service, improve service quality, and foster a unified voice for service providers and clients.

Minnesota Community Action Association (MNCAA)
State government
Provides job training, job searches, and career development services, energy assistance and weatherization services, food shelves and nutrition programs, emergency housing and financial assistance, counseling, and crisis nursery services.

Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF)
State/regional organization
Works actively to strengthen and expand philanthropy and improve the vitality and health of our communities.

Minnesota Department of Education: Division of Special Education
State government
Works for the development and implementation of programs and support for those children needed special services.

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development: State Vocational Rehabilitation Council (DEED)
State government
Develops, and reviews State goals and priorities, evaluates the effectiveness of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program, conducts a statewide needs assessment of individuals with disabilities, provides the MN State Services for the Blind Program, advises Vocational Rehabilitation regarding their activities, assists in the preparation of the State Plan, and reviews and analyzes consumer satisfaction.

Minnesota Department of Health
State government
Prepares for public health emergencies, ensures quality care in nursing homes and other health care facilities, improves the quality of health care and controlling rising costs, eliminates health disparities, and maintains basic responsibilities of public health (such as safe food and water, immunizations, newborn screening, disease prevention and control).

Minnesota Department of Health: Office of Minority and Multicultural Health (MDH-OMMH)
State government
Focuses attention on the disparities in health status among Minnesota's populations of color and American Indians.

Minnesota Department of Human Services
State/regional organization
Helps people meet their basic needs by providing or administering health care coverage, economic assistance, and a variety of services for children, people with disabilities and older Minnesotans.

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Minnesota Methamphetamine Resource Center
State government
Provides information and education on addiction, treatment and awareness of methamphetamine issues as well as other chemical abuse and addictions.

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Adult Mental Health Division
State government
Works to ensure that mental health programs and services are available throughout Minnesota. Provides state and federal funding for mental health treatment.

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Chemical Health Division
State government
Responsible for defining a statewide response to drug and alcohol abuse, including providing basic information on chemical health, planning a broad-based community service system, evaluating the effectiveness of various chemical dependency services, and funding innovative programs to promote reduction of alcohol and other drug problems and their effects on individuals, families and society.

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Child Support Division
State government
Enforces parental responsibility for their children, works with parents to establish and enforce for child support, medical support, and child care support orders, and works with parents and guardians when applying for services.

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Children's Mental Health Division
State government
Addresses the needs of children faced with complex mental health problems.

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Disability Services Division
State government
Manages publicly funded programs that support people with a variety of disabilities, including developmental disabilities, chronic medical conditions, deaf and hearing loss, Telephone Equipment Distribution Program, acquired or traumatic brain injuries and physical disabilities.

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDoT)
State government
Mission is to improve access to markets, jobs, goods and services and improve mobility by focusing on priority transportation improvements and investments that help Minnesotans travel safer, smarter and more efficiently.

Minnesota Faith Health Consortium
State/regional organization
Promotes and enhances health and human flourishing of individuals, families, and communities within the context of personal faith and/or faith communities.

Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA)
State/regional organization
Represents hospitals' interests through advocacy and representation, as well as in educational programming, communications efforts, information resources and issue-area expertise.

Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA)
State government
Works to create affordable housing solutions, helps Minnesotans buy and fix up their homes through low interest rate loans and assistance programs, and administers federal and state housing production and assistance programs to support low and moderate-income renters.

Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV)
International organization
Works to improve the health of underserved women of reproductive age and children under five years of age around the world. Somali language publications available.

Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC)
State government
Provides technical assistance for clinics and hospitals, works to recruit and retain health professionals, and promotes access to quality health care for rural and underserved urban Minnesotans.

Minnesota Primary Care Association / Association of Community Health Centers
Nonprofit/Foundation
Promotes the cost-effective delivery of affordable, quality primary health care services, with a special emphasis on meeting the needs of low-income and medically underserved populations. Represents the interests of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and other providers who offer comprehensive primary health care services on a sliding fee scale.

Minnesota Rural Health Association (MRHA)
State/regional organization
Brings together diverse interests to address rural health issues and advocates for and with rural Minnesotans.

Minnesota Rural Partners (MRP)
State/regional organization
Promotes rural-friendly policies, connects resources and develops tools that support rural economic and community development, shares stories of rural innovation, and unites Minnesotans everywhere who understand the power of rural roots in our lives.

Minnesota WorkForce Centers
State/regional organization
Provides the tools, resources and services needed for job search, career planning and training needs. People seeking work, businesses seeking employees, students, and those looking for a first job or returning to the workforce, will find services to meet their needs, offered at no cost.

National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM-GMR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians and members of the public in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC)
National organization
Maintains a network of nearly 1000 EMS agencies in 28 states, east of the Rocky Mountains, all purchasing equipment together on national contracts.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Is one of the 10 regional educational laboratories funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is dedicated to providing high-quality, research-based resources to educators and policymakers in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Northern Great Plains Inc.
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to maximize the potential of the Northern Great Plains region through regional collaboration, by identifying and promoting policies and practices that support an integrated approach to economic opportunity, a healthy environment and vital rural communities.

Rural Health Resource Center: Minnesota Center for Rural Health
State/regional organization
Based in Duluth, Minnesota. Provides technical assistance, information, tools and resources for the improvement of rural health care.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Minnesota
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.

University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Academic/Research
Conducts research and disseminates information, with primary areas of research including: rural health care financing, rural systems building, and outcomes and delivery of care in rural areas.

USDA Rural Development Minnesota State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.

Tools

Center for Excellence in Rural Safety
Web site
Provides citizen-centered research, training, and outreach to enhance rural safety and to meet the online and seminar training needs of rural transportation practitioners and policymakers.
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota

Datanet
Web site
An online system consisting of summarized statistical information designed to serve Minnesota's governments, businesses, schools, nonprofit agencies and citizens. Contains statistics about social, economic and demographic conditions in Minnesota. Delivers 200,000 reports, maps and data downloads annually.
Sponsoring organization: Land Management Information Center

ERS State Fact Sheet: Minnesota
Web site
Statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service

Future of Small Towns Idea Generator
Web site
Online forum to suggest and discuss ideas for dealing with the challenges facing small towns. Ideas are arranged by topic, including telecommunications, economic development, transportation, and more.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Public Radio

Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center
Web site
Assists rural health care providers, facilities, and organizations within the region and around the nation in order to better utilize and implement telehealth technology. Assists those just beginning their telehealth program development as well as those looking to add new telehealth-related services.
Sponsoring organization: Office for the Advancement of Telehealth

Meadowlark Project
Web site
Describes a two year process aimed at systemic change by bringing a diverse sample of the Northern Great Plains region's population to the table to discuss the region's future.
Sponsoring organization: Northern Great Plains Inc.

Minnesota QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau

Minnesota AgrAbility Project
Web site
Dedicated to helping farmers work safely and independently.
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota

Minnesota Cancer Resources
Database
Connects patients and health care providers with local resources within their communities, such as support groups, transportation, financial assistance, and palliative care. Provides links to cancer information such as treatment options, clinical trials, and pain management.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Cancer Alliance

Minnesota Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation

Minnesota Grant and Loan Information
Web site
Provides a complete listing of grants and loans available from the Minnesota Office of Rural Health & Primary Care
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Minnesota Health Information: A Guide to Health Care Quality & Cost in Minnesota
Web site
Contains links to a wide range of health-related websites and information about the cost and quality of health care in Minnesota. Designed to be a clearinghouse of health care information.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health

Minnesota Health Workforce Data and Reports
Web site
Links to current health workforce licensing raw data, summary tables, maps, demand data, and reports.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Minnesota Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Workforce Analysis

Minnesota Hospital Quality Report
Web site
Features data on hospitals' use of best practices for three conditions: heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Hospital Association

Minnesota Nursing Home Report Card
Web site
Provides information on choosing a nursing home. Shows how Minnesota nursing homes scored in seven quality measures.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services

Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Publications
Web site
Publications from one of the federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists working papers and monographs.
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center

Minnesota State Demographic Center
Web site
Analyzes and distributes data from state, U.S. Census Bureau and other sources.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau

Minnesota State Health Facts
Database
Provides the latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation

Minnesota State Medicaid Profile
Web site
Provides data on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for the state.
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)

Minnesota Telehealth Registry
Web site
Online, searchable tool for health care providers in Minnesota to share information about telehealth services. Includes lists of providers along with a map of locations.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Minnesota Tribes and Transportation E-Handbook
Database
Resource guide for tribal, township, city, county, state and federal officials and citizens working on transportation issues affecting tribal land in Minnesota.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Transportation

MinnesotaHelp.info
Web site
Provides an online directory of services to help people in Minnesota identify resources such as human services, information and referral, financial assistance, and other forms of aid and assistance. It is especially rich in resource information for seniors and their caregivers; people with disabilities and their caregivers; parents and families; and low income people

National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Minnesota
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

NN/LM Greater Midwest Region: Minnesota Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Minnesota.
Sponsoring organization: National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region

Rural Minnesota Life
Web site
Part of the Rural Families Speak Project. Provides information that contributes to rural Minnesota family and business vitality. For use by both families and family businesses. Includes research, publications, and educational tools, as well as links to other websites.
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota

State Profiles- Minnesota: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Resource Center

See also: Resources for All States: Tools

Maps & Map Collections

Atlas of Minnesota: Online Edition
Geographic coverage: Minnesota
Features updated maps and data on agriculture, people, economic vitality, income & poverty, housing, health, education, public safety, infrastructure, the environment, and civic engagement.
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development

Minnesota Rural Definition Maps
Geographic coverage: Minnesota
Set of maps showing the geographic coverage provided by 9 different rural definitions for the state.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service

See also: Resources for All States: Maps

Funding

Blandin Foundation Rural Minnesota Grants
Funding for addressing on a statewide basis issues that impact rural Minnesota.

Bush Medical Fellows Program
Fellowships to physicians to receive training in special areas and to develop opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Communities of Color
Provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that create sustainable community improvement in the areas of social services, education, arts and culture, and youth nutrition and fitness.

e-Health Record Grant Program
Grants to support the adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records by health care providers in rural and medically underserved areas of the state.

First Children's Finance Loan Fund
Loans to child care and early education businesses, especially those serving lower-income communities.

Healthier Minnesota Community Clinic Fund Innovations Grant
Innovations Grants focus on strategies with a broad impact and make a measurable difference in the health and healthcare of Minnesota's low income people, communities of color and medically underserved.

Laura Jane Musser Fund: Rural Initiative Program
Fund hopes to fund projects where citizens work together towards improving their rural communities.

Light Speed Grant Program
Program provides matching funds to support project implementation of new broadband applications from institutions (schools, health care facilities, etc.) to the home or between institutions with a priority on applications that reach home users.

Midwest Assistance Program Loan Fund
Provides low-cost, short and intermediate term loans for community water and wastewater projects through its Community Revolving Loan Fund.

Minnesota 2008-2009 State Loan Repayment Program
The State Loan Repayment Program repays qualifying educational loans of up to $20,000 annually for primary care providers practicing full-time in nonprofit private or public sites in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

Minnesota Electronic Health Record Loan Program
To assist in financing the installation or support of interoperable health record systems.

Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program - Allied Heath Care Tech Faculty
This program is offered to faculty currently teaching in a postsecondary allied health care program or individuals studying to become allied health care instructors.

Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program - Dental
This program is offered to individuals attending a program of study designed to prepare them to become a licensed dentist.

Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program - Guidelines for the Rural Midlevel Practitioner
This program is offered to individuals currently attending a program of study designed to prepare the individual for service as a midlevel practitioner.

Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program - Nurse Faculty
This program is offered to faculty currently teaching in a postsecondary nursing program or individuals studying to become nursing instructors teaching in a postsecondary nursing program in Minnesota.

Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program - Rural Pharmacist
This program is offered to pharmacy students and residents or licensed pharmacists who plan to practice full-time in a designated rural area in Minnesota.

Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program - Rural Physician
This program is offered to first, second, or third year primary care medical residents who plan to practice full-time in a designated rural area in Minnesota.

Minnesota Nonprofits Assistance Fund (MNAF)
Loans to nonprofits for bridge loans, working capital, program expansion, equipment purchases, leasehold improvements and building repairs and renovations.

Minnesota Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program
A loan forgiveness program offered to licensed practical or registered nurse students in Minnesota.

Minnesota Primary Care Loan Fund
Loans and financial management assistance to stabilize and strengthen nonprofits in the health care field.

Minnesota Statewide Trauma System
A hospital may use the grant to offset certain expenses incurred in consideration of and preparation for application to the Statewide Trauma System for designation as either a level III or level IV trauma hospital.

Minnesota's Future Doctors Grant Program
Minnesota's Future Doctors seeks college students who have successfully completed their first year at a college or university and are interested in becoming a doctor, to serve Minnesota's diverse urban and rural communities.

Priority Population Intervention: African Immigrant and African American Communities
Funding for statewide tobacco prevention efforts for African Immigrant and African American Communities.

Scholarships for Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike 2008 Conference
Scholarships for Minnesota-based professionals or citizen volunteers/advocates to support attendance at Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike 2008 in Seattle, Wash., on September 2-4, 2008.

Virginia McKnight Binger Awards in Human Service
Awards to Minnesotans who have demonstrated an exceptional personal commitment to helping others in their communities.

Inactive Funding

Inactive Funding Opportunities - Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.

Documents, Reports and Other Publications

Around the Country: EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC), a Minnesota-based, EMS co-op that provides a mechanism to achieve cost reductions for members.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08 / 2007

Bigger is Not Necessarily Better: Small Hospitals Work Together to Improve Care in Rural Minnesota
Author(s): Jill Zabel, Annette Kritzler
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Last year, ten of Minnesota's smallest hospitals took on the task of improving care for patients with heart conditions as part of an innovative pilot quality improvement collaborative for Critical Access Hospitals CAHs).
Journal citation: Minnesota - MN Quarterly Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages: 4
Date: 05 / 2003

Bridging Distance in Healthcare: A Successful Model to Address the Rural Nursing Workforce Shortage
Author(s): Stefani Kloiber
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Discusses a program called Bridging Distance in Healthcare, that offers rural residents the opportunity to earn their RN degree close to home.
Journal citation: Minnesota - MN Quarterly Volume 6 Issue 2 Pages: 4-5
Date: 2004

Demographic and Economic Profile: Minnesota
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographic, economic information and statistics on Minnesota. Includes charts, maps, and graphs.
Date: 07 / 2006

Evaluation of the Use of Midlevel Practitioners in Staffing Emergency Departments in Critical Access Versus Non-Critical Access Hospitals in Minnesota
Author(s): Ginger K. Urban
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Resource Center Technical Assistance and Services Center
Describes the results of a survey of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and non-CAHs in Minnesota regarding use of midlevel practitioners in the Emergency Department.
Date: 03 / 2004

Examining Rural Health Care
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
Entire issue of the RMJ is devoted to rural health care in Minnesota. Contains articles on becoming a rural doctor, health insurance coverage and access to health care, health care workforce, telehealth, pharmacy, long-term care, and more.
Journal citation: Rural Minnesota Journal
Date: 03 / 2007

Facing the Future of Health Care: A Report Detailing Conversations with Twelve Greater Minnesota Communities
Author(s): Barbara Brandt, Jeny Stumpf Kertz
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota
Brief overview of a set of community visits to discuss health care workforce in Minnesota. Includes information on Minnesota demographics, healthcare workforce development, and financial issues.
Date: 01 / 2005

Findings from the Minnesota Registered Nurse Workforce Survey
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Highlights of a study that collected detailed information on the state's Registered Nurse workforce.
Date: 01 / 2003

Health and Well-being of Rural Minnesotans: A Minnesota Rural Health Status Report
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
Assesses and compares the health of rural and urban communities in Minnesota. Presents some standard indicators of health status, such as behavioral risks, disease and injury prevalence, birth outcomes and causes of mortality among rural and urban Minnesotans.
Date: 01 / 2005

Health Care Reform: Addressing the Needs of Rural Minnesotans
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Describes the rural landscape and the context in which health policy decisions play out in rural Minnesota. Highlights the Rural Health Advisory Committee’s options and recommendations.
Date: 10 / 2007

Health Care Transformation Task Force Recommendations Submitted To: Governor Tim Pawlenty and the Minnesota State Legislature
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services
Includes and recommendations of the Health Care Transformation Task Force working on the challenge of ensuring that all Minnesotans have access to high quality health care at a sustainable cost.
Date: 01 / 2008

How Farmers and Ranchers Get Health Insurance and What They Spend for Health Care
Author(s): Carol Pryor, Jeffrey Prottas, Bill Lottero, Mark Rukavina, Alana Knudson
Sponsoring organization: Access Project
Issue brief examining health insurance costs and health care spending of farmers and ranchers. Based on a 2007 survey of farm and ranch operators in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Date: 12 / 2007

Interpreter Services for Patients in Medical and Dental Settings
Sponsoring organization: Interpreter Services Work Group
Outcome of a study involving a work group in Minnesota, who examined ensuring access to interpreter services; complying with requirements of federal law and guidance; developing a quality assurance program to ensure the quality of health care interpreting services; and identifying broad-based funding mechanisms for interpreter services.
Date: 02 / 2008

Minnesota Workforce Analysis: Rural Supply and Demand
Author(s): Sally Buck, Vicki Trauba, Ray Christensen
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Medical Association
Examines the current and future need for physicians in Minnesota, with an emphasis on the differences between the needs in rural and metropolitan areas.
Journal citation: Minnesota Medicine Volume 87
Date: 09 / 2004

Minnesota's Hospitals: Serving and Strengthening our Communities
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Hospital Association
Compiles community benefit data and stories, and economic impact statistics for Minnesota's nonprofit hospitals. Discusses the positive and powerful impact hospitals make in Minnesota.
Date: 2006

Profile of Minnesota Clinical Laboratory Employment and Operations
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Presents highlights of two surveys conducted regarding workforce issues in Minnesota. Discusses workforce issues nationwide.
Date: 01 / 2005

Retaining Rural Nurses: Midwestern Summit on Retaining and Making Best use of the Older More Experienced Rural Registered Nurse
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Highlights of a one-day session, consisting of 25 nurse-leaders from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota who engaged in a series of roundtable discussions on the future of older nurses in rural communities.
Date: 08 / 2007

Small Business Profile: Minnesota
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006

State of Minnesota: Profile of Drug Indicators
Sponsoring organization: White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
Contains information on demographics, political figures, programs, crime, drug use, drug trafficking, and enforcement statistics.
Date: 08 / 2006

State Profiles - Minnesota: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005

What Needs to be Done About Big Broadband
Author(s): Milda K. Hedblom
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
Discusses "big broadband" and if public bodies should be investing in and operating the networks in the same way that privately owned companies do? The focus is on rural Minnesota communities.
Journal citation: Rural Minnesota Journal Volume 2 Issue 2
Date: 2007

Working Towards a Common Goal: The Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless
Author(s): Sue Watlov Phillips
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Identifies how the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless has worked with organizations across its state to develop community-based strategies to combat homelessness.
Date: 2007

See also: Resources for All States: Documents

Journals

Minnesota - Monthly Update
Monthly newsletter containing articles, news, events and more.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Minnesota - MN Quarterly
Quarterly newsletter containing articles, news, events and more.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Minnesota - MRHA and Health News
Contains timely news, including upcoming events and articles.
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Rural Health Association

Minnesota - On Center
Newsletter of the Rural Health Resource Center in Duluth, MN.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Resource Center

Rural Minnesota Journal
Devoted to the discussion and circulation of ideas on rural Minnesota for all Minnesotans. Contains articles by some of the state's most recognized and credible authorities on rural affairs.
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development

Success Stories

A Prescription for Prevention
Three Minnesota organizations worked together to help with emergency prescriptions and, together, developed a program to provide clients with assistance for co-payments or one-month prescriptions.

Affordable Workforce Housing in Blackduck, Minnesota
An urgent need for affordable workforce housing in Blackduck, Minnesota was solved by an ambitious four-year project to build a 21-unit subdivision by 2005.

Community Health Information Collaborative -- Moose Lake, MN
In northeastern Minnesota, an increasing number of people are seeking services, and local programs are being challenged to increase quality of care, to improve health outcomes, to develop accurate measures for success, and to do more with fewer financial resources.

Domestic Abuse Treatment Program
This program is a comprehensive batterer's treatment program designed to reduce the risk of further injury or harm to victims of domestic violence throughout seven counties in rural northwestern Minnesota.

EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.

Mahnomen County Mental Health Consortium
The Mahnomen County Mental Health Consortium will focus on at-risk children and adolescents and their families, while expanding access of the general population to short-term outpatient services to ensure earlier intervention for individuals and families.

Migrant Health Service, Inc. $10 Self-Pay Drug Plan
Migrant Health Service, Inc. (MHSI) was awarded the 2007 Sister Cecilia B. Abhold Award for Innovation in Health Outreach in the Midwestern stream. The award recognizes MHSI’s unique $10 Self-Pay Drug Plan that increases access to affordable medications in rural areas of North Dakota and Minnesota.

Migrant Health Service, Inc. and Fargo-Moorhead YMCA Program
Migrant Health Service, Inc. (MHSI) was recognized for its partnership with the Fargo-Moorhead YMCA that has provided facility memberships to more than 15 local farmworker families at no cost.

Minnesota Rural Health Cooperative
The Minnesota Rural Health Cooperative (MRHC) was designed to establish a consortium of health care providers in rural west central and southwestern Minnesota.

Rice Regional Dental Clinic
The goal of the Rice Regional Dental Clinic is to increase access to dental care for uninsured and underserved residents in the 12-county service area of west central and southwest Minnesota.

Rural Health Outreach Demonstration Program (Brainerd, MN)
A consortium of health and social service providers has established a clinic that provides comprehensive services under one roof for pregnant and postpartum women.

Tri-State Rural Health Partnership
This seven organization partnership made it possible to provide a wide range of health services including training to middle school students and teachers to recognize and respond to heart attack situations, access to health services and information, including walk-in services, general health education, parent education and health screenings for a variety of conditions such as elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, and an osteoporosis prevention program, and wellness programs for older women.

Wadena's Telemedicine Program
Tri-County Hospital (TCH) has been providing medical specialist outreach via telemedicine since 1994. This 25-bed Critical Access Hospital in Wadena, Minnesota has one of the most active telemedicine programs in the country and is the headquarters for the new Minnesota Telehealth Network. This network will extend telemedicine services to 38 Minnesota counties and eight North Dakota counties.

Womens Health Project
The overall goal of the program is to foster increased capacity and resources to assure rural health delivery of quality programming for women's health, including family planning and risk reduction services in three counties in north central Minnesota.

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Page last updated 7/2/2008
State last reviewed 10/24/2007

Events
Aug 17 - 19, 2008
2008 National Rural Transportation Conference
National Association of Development Organizations
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
Duluth, MN
Contact:
  202.624.7806
  INFO@NADO.ORG


Aug 18 - 20, 2008
2nd Annual Conference on Access to Hospice and Palliative Care
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Access: Obstacles, Options and Opportunities
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN
Contact:
  703.837.1500
  nhpco_info@nhpco.org


Aug 18 - 20, 2008
The 2008 Minnesota Age & Disabilities Odyssey
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center
Duluth, MN
Contact:
  800.882.6262
  DHS.Odysseyconference@state.mn.us.


Sep 16 - 19, 2008
2008 Annual Community Mental Health Conference
Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center
Duluth, MN
Contact:
  651.642.1903
  info@macmhp.org


Sep 17 - 19, 2008
MHA Annual Meeting: The World of New Realities
Minnesota Hospital Association
Madden's on Gull Lake
Brainerd, MN
Contact:
  800.462.5393
  cak@mnhospitals.org


Sep 21 - 24, 2008
2008 MinnCAP Annual Conference
Minnesota Community Action Association
Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge
Deerwood, MN
Contact:
  651-645-7425


Sep 21 - 24, 2008
Sixth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations
National Conference Series on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations Center for Health Equality
Minneapolis Marriot City Center
Minneapolis, MN
Contact:
   215.762.7638
  ccconf@drexel.edu


Oct 30 - 31, 2008
Many Faces of Community Health 2008 Conference: Prevention & Treatment of Diabetes at the Community Level
Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers
Park Place Hotel
St. Louis Park, MN
Contact:
  Sean R. Schuette
  952-564-3077
  sschuette@intrinxec.com


Nov 15, 2008
Rural Minnesota Forum: Educating Rural Minnesota Children
Center for Rural Policy and Development
Crowne Plaza, (formerly Radisson Riverfront)
St. Paul, MN
Contact:
  507.934.7700
  crpd@ruralmn.org


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Developed by:
Mary Reinertson-Sand
mary@raconline.org

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