Blandin Foundation Expands Essential Dental Services to Underserved Residents and Families Across Rural MN

Unique $500,000 Capital Grant to Northern Dental Access Center in Park Rapids Expands Nationally Recognized Model

Key points:

• $500,000 grant enables Northern Dental Access Center to acquire and expand the Park Rapids Community Dental Clinic, serve new patients and improve access to essential dental and health care in rural Minnesota.
• Addresses critical needs with a unique and integrated care hub model. 43% of rural residents lack dental insurance – double urban rates. Northern Dental addresses barriers to care with supportive transportation, insurance counseling and referrals to other needed resources.
• Strategic focus alignment. The grant aligns with Blandin’s strategic focus on regional capacity-building and community wealth-building across small, underserved communities, contributing to the economic and social health of rural corridors.

Grand Rapids, MN – October 24, 2024

The Blandin Foundation today announced a $500,000 grant to Northern Dental Access Center to acquire the Park Rapids Community Dental Clinic. This investment ensures the continuation and expansion of vital dental services for asset-limited individuals and families across rural Minnesota.

The Mississippi Headwaters Area Dental Health Center, operating as Northern Dental Access Center, serves more than one-fifth of the state’s counties and four Native Nations, including some of the most underserved populations in Minnesota. With this grant, Northern Dental will expand its unique, patient-centered service model to the Park Rapids area, maintaining essential dental care access for low-income families while enhancing regional health capacity. The program expansion was marked by a recent ribbon-cutting event in Park Rapids attended by Northern Dental, Blandin Foundation and other community partners.

“For many Minnesotans in small, rural communities, access to essential services like dental care is a significant challenge,” said Linda Gibeau, Blandin Foundation Grants Program Officer for Small Communities. “By ensuring access to health care, we’re building stronger, healthier communities where more rural people have the opportunity to thrive.”

Grant Goals Underscore Issues of Race, Place and Class

The grant will help maintain dental access for low-income children and families in Park Rapids, 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.

“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,” said Tuleah Palmer, President and CEO of Blandin Foundation. “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.”

Addressing Rural Health Disparities

Dental care access in rural Minnesota remains limited, with high rates of uninsurance and significant reliance on Medicaid. In isolated rural areas, 43 percent of residents lack dental insurance, compared to 21 percent 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.

The acquisition of the Park Rapids clinic, previously operated by Catholic Health Initiative (CHI) St. Joseph’s Health, is critical for preserving and enhancing dental care in the region. Thanks to strong leadership, collaboration and financial backing—including a $141,158 grant from PrimeWest Health for equipment—the clinic will continue operations under Northern Dental’s management, building on their proven approach.

Expanding a Proven, Nationally Recognized Model

Northern Dental Access Center’s model has garnered statewide and national recognition, including the 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Organization Award from the National Rural Health Association. The Northern Dental model creates a “safety net” dental clinic that works in cross-sector collaboration to address barriers faced by lower-income families. With a patient-centered approach and deep community partnerships, patients are supported with transportation assistance, insurance counseling, legal services and care coordination. A clinic team cross-trained as community health workers provides patients a seamless handoff to needed community resources as part of this integrated care hub.

“Through this acquisition, we’re building a sustainable, community-centered dental and health care model that puts people first,” said Jeanne Larson, Executive Director of Northern Dental Access Center. “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.”