Minnesota Models and Innovations

Updated/reviewed April 2020

Need: Allow rural cancer patients in a region inclusive of 26 counties in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota to have access to tertiary-level chemotherapy regimens in rural infusion centers.
Intervention: With telehealth-based oversight from a tertiary care oncology team, 3 rural infusion teams were trained to coordinate cancer treatment plans and administer complex chemotherapy regimens.
Results: Almost 130 patients were transitioned to receive chemotherapy in a rural infusion center, translating to over 1,000 infusion visits and saving patients/families nearly 65,000 trip miles, 1,800 travel hours and $71,000.

Updated/reviewed July 2024

Need: To help older adults age in place.
Intervention: For five months, CAPABLE participants receive home visits from a registered nurse, occupational therapist, and home repair services.
Results: There are currently 42 CAPABLE sites across the country, 14 of which are located in rural communities.

Updated/reviewed July 2024

Need: To reduce suicide and substance-related deaths in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Intervention: The Care and Support program provides support through phone calls, cards, and texting to those who have called suicide helplines or were referred by a healthcare provider.
Results: In 2023, FirstLink made 10,709 calls and sent 913 cards to program participants.

Added July 2024

Need: To increase the future healthcare workforce in rural Minnesota.
Intervention: Montevideo Medical Academy helps students explore healthcare career options and gain college credit.
Results: So far, 25 students in the program have attained 170 college credits, 55 certifications, and 304 hours of clinical experience.

Updated/reviewed January 2024

Need: To connect underserved and isolated older adults in rural Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota to services and supports so they can age in place.
Intervention: The Rural Aging Action Network is a collaborative of organizations that offer different services like caregiver support, behavioral health, financial counseling, and assistance with chores and household maintenance.
Results: Since 2015, the collaborative has reached over 4,000 older adults and caregivers in over 100 rural communities.

Updated/reviewed January 2024

Need: Dual platform to teach both plain language use and health literacy principles to health professions students and disseminate health information to rural populations.
Intervention: Writing project using community-specific public health data in order to write a plain language health education article suitable for publication in a rural newspaper.
Results: Since program start in 2017, over 60 students have successfully published their plain language health education articles in 17 rural newspapers in 3 states.

Added December 2023

Need: To address shortages of nurse practitioners and mental health professionals in rural Minnesota.
Intervention: The University of Minnesota (UMN) School of Nursing implemented a 40-hour rural rotation for students in the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program.
Results: 29 students completed rural rotations in communities across the state; several students voiced a new openness to practicing in a rural area after participating in the program.

Updated/reviewed October 2023

Need: Public transportation options in a rural 8-county area in northwest Minnesota.
Intervention: A coordinated public transportation and volunteer driver system which serves northwest Minnesota.
Results: Increased ridership and affordable access to transportation for residents of 8 counties in rural, northwest Minnesota.

Updated/reviewed August 2023

Need: To support rural veterans pursuing a career in nursing.
Intervention: The INVITE program improved the curriculum and reworked admission requirements to better support veteran students' experiences in the College of St. Scholastica undergraduate nursing program.
Results: The number of veterans pursuing nursing has more than doubled since program implementation, and all students have reported an increased interest in serving rural communities.

Updated/reviewed May 2023

Need: Out of 79 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) surveyed in Minnesota in 2015, behavioral health was the most frequently cited service requested.
Intervention: In response, Rural Health Innovations launched the Minnesota Integrative Behavioral Health Program. This initiative engaged representatives across all sectors in health integration between hospital, primary care, and community services.
Results: Strategy sessions resulted in the creation of resource directories to improve care coordination, evaluation measurements to document results, and an overall better understanding of integrative care challenges.

Promising Examples