Success Stories by Source: Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

• Center for Rural Mental Health Studies at the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth
  July 2008
  The Center for Rural Mental Health Studies is integrating mental health into primary care settings for underserved rural populations.
• Fairview-University of Minnesota Telemedicine Network
  July 2008
  A network to serve patients by telemedicine not just in hospitals, but in rural clinics, homes and long term care facilities.
• Ottertail’s Econodrug
  July 2008
  Ottertail’s Econodrug is a telepharmacy, which allows the store to provide prescription medication to customers without a pharmacist on the premises. In Ottertail this saves residents a 20-30 mile drive to the next pharmacy.
• Sowing the Seeds of Hope
  July 2008
  Sowing the Seeds of Hope is responding to the mental health needs of farm families. This is a collaborative effort of project leaders in seven predominantly rural states: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
• Tri-Valley Opportunity Council
  July 2008
  In 2002, Tri-Valley Opportunity Council assumed responsibility for coordinating a public transportation and volunteer driver system to serve a sparsely populated, very rural five-county area covering 6,500 miles in northwest Minnesota.
• Community Dental Care
  July 2008
  Community Dental Care provides dental care and preventive programs in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner to low income and ethnic minority families to improve the overall health and quality of life for its patients.
• North Region Health Alliance
  July 2008
  North Region Health Alliance improved connectivity among the 24 health care providers by implementing a telecommunication infrastructure.
• Northeast Minnesota Area Health Education Center Iron Range Health Occupations Today
  July 2008
  The Northeast Minnesota Area Health Education Center Iron Range Health Occupations Today (H.O.T.) program provides health career pathways for students by establishing education partnerships to support and increase student skills as they discover health care career opportunities.
• Sanford Dental Clinic Canby
  July 2008
  The departing dentist was unable to sell his private practice and the community was going to be without local service so a dental clinic became part of the Sanford Canby Medical Center to provide local dental services.
• SISU Medical Systems
  July 2008
  SISU Medical Systems provides information technology to provider based health care organizations. As a consortium of 16 Minnesota hospitals, SISU enables its members to collaborate on various technology-related projects, while benefitting from the cost-savings of group purchasing and licensing power.
• St. Joseph’s Community Dental Clinic
  July 2008
  The St. Joseph’s Community Dental Clinic serves patients receiving Medical Assistance or Minnesota Care. The hospital-based clinic emphasizes comprehensive services.
• Trauma Nursing Core Course
  July 2008
  Greater Northwest Emergency Medical Services improved the quality of regional trauma care through an education outreach plan for rural nursing staff.
• Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center Dementia Project
  July 2008
  Enhancing quality of care, life and services for seniors with dementia and their care providers.