With over 600 rural health stakeholders participating annually, the Minnesota Rural Health Conference is one of the nation's largest state rural health conferences. The conference is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health & Primary Care; Minnesota Rural Health Association; and the National Rural Health Resource Center.

This year's conference theme is Innovation & Transformation, with a focus on sharing innovative strategies, outcomes and resources that will accelerate the transformation to a more integrated and sustainable rural health system.

Conference Objectives

• Increase readiness to engage in value-based models of care and payment
• Build on strategies to improve health outcomes for populations with diverse health needs
• Strengthen your ability to use data analytics to tell your story and measure success
• Discover successful community collaborations addressing health equity
• Expand awareness of effective methods enhancing behavioral and mental health access
• Explore a variety of workforce strategies to address current and future needs
• Foster relationships with rural health providers, students, educators, vendors and policymakers

Target Audience

• Rural hospitals, long-term care, behavioral health, rural health clinics and community health center administrators, leaders, staff and volunteers
• Rural health professionals, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, dentists, behavioral health providers, allied health professionals and educators
• Rural Health Advisory Committee members
• Rural Hospital Flexibility Committee members
• Rural network directors
• Elected and appointed officials, including county commissioners and state legislators
• Federal, state and local government and tribal health, public health and human service staff
• Policy analysts and researchers interested in rural health issues
• Health plan, accountable care organization representatives
• Community leaders and activists
• Rural health care consumers
• Health professions students
• Economic development organizations
• Extension services
• Schools and educators
• Other community partners in rural health
• Community members