Every socioeconomic divide in our society shows up in our health care systems, and worse, in our health outcomes. An example is COVID-19, which has disproportionately impacted communities of color and those living in rural areas. It is critically important that, as we work together to serve our state, we take on the responsibility of expanding access to care.
There are already many excellent initiatives across the health sciences. From operating mobile clinics to partnering with communities to provide local care, to expanding telehealth offerings, we are committed to providing services to better meet the needs of underserved Minnesotans. Some of the creative programs addressing this include:
- Ensuring experiential education for our learners that allows them to develop collaborative practice skills and experience a variety of practice settings—especially in rural communities.
- Creating and distributing COVID-19 vaccine information to residents of rural and Tribal communities to answer questions and counter misinformation.
- Forming unique collaborations to address farmers and aging in place.
- Making it possible for rural Minnesotans to participate in clinical trials.
- Collaborating on degree programs specifically designed to improve health care access.
- Providing preventative and primary care services to animals on Native American reservations.
- Offering mobile dental and health care.
As COVID restrictions ease and the number of those vaccinated steadily rises, what are some additional ways we can make sure no Minnesotan is without access to care?
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