Minnesota Resources
Preventing Medical Debt among Rural Residents: Example Programs from Hospitals in Minnesota and Montana
Highlights the ways some rural hospitals are working to reduce medical debt for their patients. Presents a number of strategies from hospitals in Minnesota and Montana that aim to reduce patient medical debts through financial assistance programs and cost-cutting measures. Features case-studies reviewing the structure of each hospital's debt reduction efforts.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Sushma Shankar, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Highlights the ways some rural hospitals are working to reduce medical debt for their patients. Presents a number of strategies from hospitals in Minnesota and Montana that aim to reduce patient medical debts through financial assistance programs and cost-cutting measures. Features case-studies reviewing the structure of each hospital's debt reduction efforts.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Sushma Shankar, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Midwest Urban-Rural Differences in Cancer Prevalence
Analyzes cancer prevalence by level of rurality in a midwestern region, utilizing Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) data of 647,909 people who lived in a 27-county region of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of January 2020. Includes data breakdowns by level of rurality and place of cancer, smoking status, sex, age, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Christine M. Prissel, Brandon R. Grossardt, Lila J. Finney Rutten, et al.
Citation: Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Date: 05/2025
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Analyzes cancer prevalence by level of rurality in a midwestern region, utilizing Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) data of 647,909 people who lived in a 27-county region of Minnesota and Wisconsin as of January 2020. Includes data breakdowns by level of rurality and place of cancer, smoking status, sex, age, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Christine M. Prissel, Brandon R. Grossardt, Lila J. Finney Rutten, et al.
Citation: Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Date: 05/2025
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Time to Work Together: Our Roles in Keeping and Attracting Residents
Provides data, information, and Minnesota maps related to migration patterns, county-level demographics and recreation categories, population changes, and more, with breakdowns according to entirely rural, town/rural mix, and urban/town/rural mix.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Provides data, information, and Minnesota maps related to migration patterns, county-level demographics and recreation categories, population changes, and more, with breakdowns according to entirely rural, town/rural mix, and urban/town/rural mix.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Minnesota Population Declines while Households Increase
Provides county-level data on urban/city, change in households and populations since 1970, and household size. Includes breakdowns according to location: Hennepin and Ramsey, suburban/greater Minnesota urban, urban/town/rural mix, entirely rural or town/rural mix-recreational, town/rural mix, or entirely rural.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Provides county-level data on urban/city, change in households and populations since 1970, and household size. Includes breakdowns according to location: Hennepin and Ramsey, suburban/greater Minnesota urban, urban/town/rural mix, entirely rural or town/rural mix-recreational, town/rural mix, or entirely rural.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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What's Going on in Greater Minnesota? – Accessing Youth Mental Health in Rural Minnesota
A recorded webinar that discusses the research report, Youth Mental Health: Where Rural Families Can Find Help Now. Focuses on mental health needs of children in Minnesota and strategies to access care. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Marnie Werner
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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A recorded webinar that discusses the research report, Youth Mental Health: Where Rural Families Can Find Help Now. Focuses on mental health needs of children in Minnesota and strategies to access care. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Marnie Werner
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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What's Going on in Greater Minnesota? – The Decline in Nursing Bed Capacity
A recorded webinar that discusses the research report, The Declining Capacity of Nursing Facility Care in Rural Minnesota. Focuses on shrinking availability of nursing home beds, workforce shortages, and closure of long-term care facilities. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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A recorded webinar that discusses the research report, The Declining Capacity of Nursing Facility Care in Rural Minnesota. Focuses on shrinking availability of nursing home beds, workforce shortages, and closure of long-term care facilities. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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International Medical Graduates Assistance Program: 2024 Report to the Minnesota Legislature
Examines Minnesota's International Medical Graduates Assistance Program and pathways to integrate immigrant international medical graduates (IMGs) into the healthcare system. Focuses on the role of IMGs in supporting healthcare access in rural areas of Minnesota, IMG workforce education programs and pathways, and establishing policy that allows IMGs to enter residency programs.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Examines Minnesota's International Medical Graduates Assistance Program and pathways to integrate immigrant international medical graduates (IMGs) into the healthcare system. Focuses on the role of IMGs in supporting healthcare access in rural areas of Minnesota, IMG workforce education programs and pathways, and establishing policy that allows IMGs to enter residency programs.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Minnesota Chartbook Section 6: Uninsurance, Forgone Care, and the Safety Net
Reports on uninsurance trends in Minnesota from 2007 to 2023. Discusses statewide measures, population groups, characteristics and potential access to coverage of the uninsured, and uncompensated care. Includes charts showing rural versus urban hospital uncompensated care expenses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Reports on uninsurance trends in Minnesota from 2007 to 2023. Discusses statewide measures, population groups, characteristics and potential access to coverage of the uninsured, and uncompensated care. Includes charts showing rural versus urban hospital uncompensated care expenses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Longevity: Recommendations to Reduce Social Isolation and Enhance Social Connection in Rural Minnesota
Discusses the importance of social connection for long-term health in older adults as well as the barriers rural Minnesotans face in maintaining social connections. Provides recommendations for reducing social isolation, such as workforce and community engagement, community infrastructure, accessible programming, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Discusses the importance of social connection for long-term health in older adults as well as the barriers rural Minnesotans face in maintaining social connections. Provides recommendations for reducing social isolation, such as workforce and community engagement, community infrastructure, accessible programming, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Meeker Memorial Hospital: Bringing Sustainable Coordination of Care to its Patients and Community
Provides a profile of Meeker Memorial Hospital (MMH), a healthcare facility located in Minnesota and part of the 2022-2023 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP). Discusses MMH's process to improve finances and operations, implement electronic medical record (EMR) training, partner with pharmacy schools, and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Provides a profile of Meeker Memorial Hospital (MMH), a healthcare facility located in Minnesota and part of the 2022-2023 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP). Discusses MMH's process to improve finances and operations, implement electronic medical record (EMR) training, partner with pharmacy schools, and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Additional resources are available. See a full list of Minnesota Resources.

