Minnesota’s RHTP narrative includes oral health support via workforce, technology, and mobile care initiatives
According to the Minnesota Rural Health Transformation Project Narrative, “Compared to urban areas, rural Minnesota reports more trouble getting primary care and dental appointments, and lower telehealth use….
Federal shortage designations also highlight these challenges:
69 of 87 Minnesota counties include a primary care physician Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA),
57 of 87 counties include a dental HPSA.”
Within the first initiative aimed at “Community-Based Prevention Care and Chronic Disease Management”, “Rural providers will engage in a statewide learning community to share progress, lessons learned, ideas and resources. Eligible providers engaging in this initiative must select at least three (3) of the following activities:
Chronic Disease screening, education, referral, and follow-up.
[which includes using] new data technologies and team-based approaches to identify patients for screening, counseling, referral and follow-up, such as identification of those not yet seen, overdue for screening, partially screened for CKD, or who have high blood pressure or other risk factors (cancer, oral health conditions, dementia, etc.)
Chronic disease self-management in clinic and community….
Physical activity, nutrition, and upstream drivers of health referrals.”
Under its initiative to “Recruit and Retain Talent in Rural Communities”, Minnesota aims to “Develop allied health pathways through “Earn and Train” programs that allow incumbent rural workers to become apprentices and gain training and credentials for entry-level health care roles while working for rural health care employers like clinics, hospitals, Tribal health facilities, and FQHCs. Employees will be able to work part-time, and providers will use grant funds to cover the costs of time for classes and studying, tuition and other related costs of training employees for high-demand health fields. Programs will align with local workforce needs, such as medical assistants, dental assistants, registered nurses, licensed alcohol and drug counselors, dental hygienists, radiographers, surgical technologists, respiratory therapists, paramedics, community paramedics, community health representatives, and community health workers. To ensure retention of these providers, recipients will be required to serve in rural areas for five years.”
As a part of efforts to “Sustain Access to Services to Keep Care Closer to Home”, plans include “Provide local care delivery with mobile units for physical or oral health. Mobile medical services equipped with telehealth technology can reach more community members with in-person physical examinations or specialty medical services. Mobile health care vans will visit schools, community centers, Head Start sites, nursing homes, Tribal Nations, and other rural venues. Staffed primarily by nurses or advanced dental therapists or dental hygienists operating under collaborative practice agreements, the mobile units will provide screening, primary and preventive care, delivery of lab work, basic restorative dental care, and referrals for patients needing further treatment. In addition to receiving services directly in the mobile unit, patients may also link to specialists via telehealth. FQHCs, other clinics, and Tribal health organizations will serve as hubs for referrals from hospitals, primary care clinics, the mobile units, and community partners. Mobile units will expand hours and staffing to accommodate an increased volume of patients and may function as a training site for nurses, dental professionals, hygienists, or the frontline workforce. The mobile delivery model offers opportunities to build the frontline workforce, reducing the burden on the limited number of rural health care professionals; expand the reach of a rural practice; provide physical and oral health support to community members; direct care away from emergency departments; and provide a flexible and cost-effective alternative to constructing new facilities that may not be sustainable over the long-term.” [1]
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