The following is a letter to the Editor from To the Editor from the Campus Advancement and Advisory Board (CAAB) of the University of Minnesota Crookston.
To the editor,
A growing concern in the Red River Valley has been the issue of delivering high quality, rural health care. Numerous studies have pointed to a growing shortage of health care workers in rural Minnesota and North Dakota. This lack of medical professionals in turn leads to health outcome inequities which hurt our Minnesota and North Dakota communities.
The University of Minnesota system trains 70% of all healthcare professionals in the state – not just doctors – impacting all 87 counties, including our own. At the Crookston campus, they are working to tackle the health care worker shortage and meet our responsibilities in filling gaps.
UMN Crookston is making an impact through offering a Bachelor degree in Health Sciences, which provides the opportunity for our students to explore the many pathways into the health care field. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to careers in health care, but this foundational degree provides students with the prerequisite knowledge and skills required for admission to professional programs such as nursing, chiropractic, dentistry, occupational and physical therapy. The program gives UMN Crookston students a high-level view of the health care industry and allows them to choose a focus that best fits their career aspirations. Additionally, students enter an immersive experience that brings together faculty, staff and students in all health professions and areas of expertise – including rural health expertise – that is unmatched across the country.
UMN Crookston aims to expand this program to strengthen the pipeline of future health care professionals — people who will support our rural communities and our region by welcoming your babies into the world, preparing your medications, restoring your mobility, safeguarding your dental health, caring for your pets, and, in the most challenging moments, help you access life-saving care that brings hope.
The University of Minnesota is one of a handful of public universities in the country that work across all the health sciences—medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, public health and veterinary—to deliver research, education and care that changes lives in Minnesota and beyond. As Minnesota’s only public medical school, The University of Minnesota must continue to thrive so that, at every stage of life and in every corner of the state and our region, our graduates can be there for you for decades to come.
Written by the Campus Advancement and Advisory Board (CAAB) at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
Carl Wittenburg, Alexandria MN, Chair of the CAAB
Tom Anderson, Alexandria MN
Jason Carlson, McIntosh, MN
Diane Cilengi, Brooklyn Park, MN
Tim Dufault, Crookston, MN
Evelyn Dupont, Grand Forks, ND
Theresia Gillie, Hallock, MN
Roland Hill, Aitkin, MN
Paul Imle, Gonvick, MN
Lori Marco, Austin, MN
Carrie Michalski, Warren, MN
Judy Neppel, East Grand Forks, MN
Sarah Reese, Crookston, MN
Doug Sandstrom, Longville, MN
Dan Svedarsky, Crookston, MN
Kari Torkelson, Grand Forks, ND
Gail Yutrzenka, Argyle, MN
