Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Minnesota's Urban Health Care Safety Net

Providing primary care to uninsured and underinsured Minnesotans

The Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is Minnesota's federally designated primary care office with the responsibility of administering specific state and federal resources to develop and preserve access to health care.

Minnesota communities vary greatly based on geography and socioeconomic factors, but the basic health care need is essentially the same: access to and availability of quality health care. An in-depth article is in the Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Summer 2007 Quarterly publication.

The safety net of community health centers, local health departments and public hospitals provide health care access to medically underserved urban populations. We support the effort to develop and preserve access through:

Community Clinic Grants
Indian Health Grants
Federally Qualified Health Center Subsidy Grants
Additional grants and loans may be available through the Minnesota Department of Health.
On-site consultation, information and training including reimbursements, accounts receivable management, administration, revenue and business planning, information systems and contracting
Workforce support through loan repayment programs
Review of Minnesota health care facility applications and support of J-1 visa waivers to the federal government, which permit internationally trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in Minnesota.
Technical assistance to sites, data collection, preparation and submission of applications for federal shortage area designation.