HGA has been selected to partner with CentraCare and the University of Minnesota in the planning and design of a new medical campus focused on rural health, in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
CentraCare, a healthcare system based in St. Cloud will work with the University of Minnesota’s Medical School to expand education and training, placing medical students in the heart of rural Minnesota. With data that suggests that individuals trained in rural settings stay in rural settings, the medical school will help to fill a growing shortage of physicians in rural Minnesota. It will be the state’s first new medical campus in 50 years.
The new school will be in an area hit hard with a medical workforce shortage, due to reasons including retirement and post-pandemic burnout. Rural communities suffer immensely with physician shortages, in some cases with patients waiting months for basic care, such as physicals or traveling long distances for specialty care. Per local NBC TV affiliate KARE 11, there is a rural physician shortage nationwide, expected to hit 80,000 by 2030.
“If we create a rural educational environment, the folks that are educated there are much more likely to practice there and make a life there,” said Dr. Holmen, president and CEO of CentraCare, speaking with KARE 11.
HGA’s interdisciplinary team, comprised of planners, designers, and subject matter experts has a proven track record of elevating health systems across the country:
- Across rural Minnesota, HGA has designed more than 70 critical access hospitals, clinics, and specialty clinics.
- The firm has a more than 25-year relationship with CentraCare, most recently completing the Redwood Falls Replacement Hospital and wellness center. An addition and renovation are currently underway at the Paynesville Hospital campus as well.
- HGA has had a longstanding partnership with the University of Minnesota on various research and projects, most recently completing the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain in 2021.
“We are excited to continue our relationship with CentraCare and the University of Minnesota, designing a medical campus that will bring a truly cohesive, interprofessional experience for healthcare education students in rural Minnesota, said Alanna Carter, healthcare principal at HGA. She continued, “This medical campus will bring about the next generation of physicians and medical staff, utilizing the latest technology and an immersive learning environment.”
Learn more about the University of Minnesota and CentraCare’s outline vision for improving health in Greater Minnesota here.
HGA’s previous work with CentraCare and the University of Minnesota below.
