A $500,000 capital grant from the Blandin Foundation to the Northern Dental Access Center (NDAC) will maintain dental access for low-income children and families in Park Rapids, according to a news release.
Earlier this year, NDAC acquired Park Rapids Community Dental Clinic from CHI St. Joseph’s Health.
“Since opening in May, we have already hosted more than 2,000 patient visits. As a nonprofit organization, we are here to provide access to care for people enrolled in Minnesota health care plans or who otherwise struggle to access dental care,” said NDAC executive director Jeanne Edevold Larson.
She says, “Through this acquisition, we’re building a sustainable, community-centered dental and health care model that puts people first. With Blandin Foundation’s support, we can continue addressing rural health disparities and improving access to care for thousands of individuals and families in Greater Minnesota.”
The Mississippi Headwaters Area Dental Health Center, operating as NDAC, “serves more than one-fifth of the state’s counties and four Native Nations, including some of the most underserved populations in Minnesota,” the release states.
“Dental care access in rural Minnesota remains limited, with high rates of uninsurance and significant reliance on Medicaid,” it continues. “In isolated rural areas, 43% of residents lack dental insurance compared to 21% in urban areas. Northern Dental’s mission is to break these barriers, having served nearly 18,000 patients across its three locations in 2023 alone.”
In addition to maintaining dental access for low-income families in Park Rapids, the release says the Blandin grant “will reconfigure operations to serve new patients, replicate a successful integrated care model that has provided care to underserved populations for over 15 years and contribute to the vitality of Park Rapids’ downtown as a rural health care hub.”
Tuleah Palmer, president and CEO of Blandin Foundation, said, “This investment reflects our deep commitment to issues of race, place and class by directly addressing the social determinants of health that impact underserved populations across northern Minnesota. It aligns with our broader strategic focus of fostering community wealth-building and capacity-building across regional corridors, ensuring that even the most rural areas of our state are equipped with the resources they need for long-term success.”
“For many Minnesotans in small, rural communities, access to essential services like dental care is a significant challenge,” said Linda Gibeau of the Blandin Foundation grants program in the release. “By ensuring access to health care, we’re building stronger, healthier communities where more rural people have the opportunity to thrive.”
Northern Dental Access Center’s model has garnered recognition, the release says, including the
2022 Outstanding Rural Health Organization Award
from the National Rural Health Association.
“Thanks to strong leadership, collaboration and financial backing, including a $141,158 grant from PrimeWest Health for equipment, the Park Rapids clinic will continue operations under Northern Dental’s management, building on their proven approach,” the news release said.
Larson noted that NDAC retained most of the former CHI staff, “so current patients can enjoy continuity of care and the providers they have trusted for years. With the current workforce shortage, the clinic operations have room to grow, so we are doing our best to recruit additional dental providers to help reduce patient wait times for appointments.”
NDAC has three other locations: Bemidji, Bagley and Halstad. More information can be found at
www.northerndentalaccess.org
.
The Blandin Foundation is a private foundation based in Grand Rapids, Minn.
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