University of Minnesota Drives Innovation to Strengthen Rural Health Care Workforce in Duluth

Urgent shortages in Minnesota’s health care workforce are looming across the state as the Minnesota Department of Health reports one in three rural physicians plan to leave the workforce within the next five years. Similar trends are noted for nurses, emergency medical services and mental health providers.

During a Board of Regents Special Committee on Academic Health meeting next week, U of M leaders will highlight existing pathways and new investments in educating the future health care workforce for Greater Minnesota and Indigenous communities. The discussion will focus on strategic health care education initiatives and partnerships based in Duluth, other Greater Minnesota communities and Tribal Nations. They are examples of the powerful impact that is possible at the U of M — one of America’s leading research universities and also one of the country’s most comprehensive in its health sciences campuses, schools and programs.

For decades, the U of M Medical and Pharmacy schools have taught students and conducted research in Duluth. Statistics show most students who choose the Duluth-based health science programs come to the UMD campus from small towns and rural areas, where they benefit from the University’s world-class health education while engaging in campus life at the U of M’s mid-sized comprehensive campus off the shores of Lake Superior. The vast majority of these students go on to serve patients and communities throughout Greater Minnesota after graduation. The Duluth campus is second in the nation for successfully graduating Native American medical doctors and the campus’ pharmacy graduates are working with communities in more than 60 different Minnesota counties.

“The University of Minnesota is uniquely positioned to improve the health and well-being of people across Minnesota and beyond. In fact, it’s at the very core of our public mission,” said U of M President Rebecca Cunningham. “ Combined with our commitment to service and outreach, our education and research strengths shine through in Duluth and across our University System, where our students, faculty, staff and partners are intensely focused on addressing Minnesota’s workforce needs while delivering innovation and exceptional health care for all communities.”

The University’s robust programs and partnerships include:

• The Rural Physician Associate Program has 55 sites statewide from small family medicine clinics to large multi-specialty outpatient centers. The program provides third-year medical students an opportunity to work with the same patients over nine months, training under a primary care preceptor to engage in the full scope of rural primary care.
• The Center for American Indian and Minority Health offers a range of initiatives and opportunities across all educational levels — from kindergarten to medical school — to develop Native American physicians, pharmacists and health professionals.
• The College of Pharmacy’s collaboration with Duluth’s Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment expanded substance use recovery and mental health services for clients in rural and Tribal communities. A new grant will support the launch of an interprofessional, residential treatment team to support and empower clients during their recovery journey.

Looking to the future

“The focused attention and investment in these regional partnerships have huge benefits for Duluth students in these health sciences programs, but the benefits extend to our entire campus and other parts of the University System as well,” said U of M Duluth Chancellor Charles Nies. “For example, our campus’ bachelor degree program in health care management, the clear pathways we are creating for rural students interested in health care careers, the possibility for new student opportunities in partnership with our U of M Rochester campus and its focus on health careers, all bring together high-tech health care training and research and are only possible because of the University’s continued investments in Duluth.”

Statewide, students in the University’s health sciences programs are trained with an interprofessional mindset, valuing the importance in a team approach to health care delivery. This holds true on the Duluth campus, where early enrollment options for University of Minnesota Duluth students open doors to future health care careers in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, public health, nursing, veterinary medicine and social work. Across the region, partnerships with Essentia Health, Aspirus-St. Luke’s, Hibbing Community College and Twin Ports Spay and Neuter offer key training sites for enhancing hands-on learning for students while also strengthening health care networks for these communities.

“These interprofessional and community-based efforts give our students hands-on health care career training while strengthening resources for Minnesotans living in rural, Tribal and other underserved communities,” said Jakub Tolar, vice president for clinical affairs and dean of the U of M Medical School.  “Health care is a leading industry throughout northern Minnesota and these partnerships are critical to Minnesota’s economy and health now and well into the future.”