Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - Project Abstract United Way of Carlton and Pine County Area 902 Hwy 33 S, Cloquet, MN 55720 Non-Profit https://www.unitedwaycarltoncounty.org Proposed Service Region: Carlton County, MN, including the cities of Barnum, Carlton, Cloquet, Cromwell, Kettle River, Moose Lake, Scanlon, Wrenshall, and Wright Network Name: Empower Care Alliance In 2024, one in five Minnesota households experienced food insecurity, 26% of households with children didn’t have regular access to the nutrition needed to thrive, Minnesota’s emergency food system served 18% of the state, and 20% of Minnesota households could not afford the food they needed. (Second Harvest Heartland, Statewide Hunger Study, 2024). Additionally, 36% of households in Carlton County, Minnesota, have income below the ALICE threshold of financial survival. (United for ALICE, “ALICE in Minnesota: A Study of Financial Hardship,” 2022) Therefore, the applicant, United Way of Carlton and Pine County Area, has formed a partnership with Community Memorial Hospital and Community of Hope 2:16 in an initiative called Empower Care Alliance to highlight the magnitude of food insecurity and nutrition disparities faced by rural communities and their residents due to a shortage of financial resources, limited access to services, lack of transportation, and inadequate nutrition education strategies. The initiative's target population will include all Carlton County, Minnesota residents. The above partners are collaboratively applying for the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program grant to ultimately establish and improve local capacity and coordination of care by developing an integrated healthcare network to address regional community health needs to support and sustain efficient, effective, and accessible efforts. Program goals will parallel legislative aims: 1) To achieve healthcare efficiencies through collaborative efforts focused on food insecurity and nutrition disparities. 2) To expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of nutrition services and health outcomes. 3) To strengthen the rural healthcare system as a whole by fostering partnerships among diverse healthcare entities. These goals will be met by creating an active Community Health Network, conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment, establishing a Communications, Strategic, and Sustainability Plan for the Network, and providing opportunities for cross-organizational collaboration and leadership commitment. The applicant requests a funding preference for Qualification 1: Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and Qualification 3: Focus on Primary Care and Wellness and Prevention Strategies.
