News and Stories

HealthFinders staff members presented their inaugural Intercultural Effectiveness training on Wednesday, June 26th to rave reviews. Rice County Social Service staff from the Children’s Mental Health Department were the first to receive the training. The goal Intercultural Effectiveness training is to build understanding, trust, and communication skills. It addresses inequities, implicit bias, micro-aggressions, and oppression all shared through [...]

When you support HealthFinders Collaborative, you are helping neighbors like James.*  James, who is 51, was experiencing rapid weight loss and deteriorating vision. His condition worsened to the point of being unable to work or live independently, making him fully reliant on his son to provide for his daily needs. Because he was uninsured, James believed he had [...]

HealthFinders’ Annual Spring Gala, held on March 30th at the Carleton Weitz Center was a huge success raising over $100,000 to support HealthFinders programs. It was an event of firsts…first time at a new venue, first time using bidding technology, first time raising over $100,000, first time with a photo booth and first time having a key note gift presentation.  Our theme honored the Power of [...]

HealthFinders Collaborative was recently certified as a Health Care Home (HCH) by the Minnesota Department of Health. Certification involved document and policy submission, as well as a site visit.  The name "Health Care Home" acknowledges a critical shift that needs to happen in order to truly improve health in Minnesota. This is a shift from a purely [...]

HealthFinders Collaborative strives to ensure that everyone has access to the healthcare they need.  In the public health world, this care goes far beyond the services that occur within the walls of HealthFinders’ medical or dental clinic.  Through HealthFinders’ patient advocacy programs, advocates work with individuals and families to connect them to healthcare resources outside of HealthFinders by helping them enroll in public or private healthcare coverage programs.  The healthcare world is complicated, and that’s why HealthFinders has advocates, such as Herlen Barcenas, to help [...]

Providing appropriate health care is a growing challenge in a rural community, particularly if the demographics of communities that are rapidly changing.  This was evident as providers at the Women's Health department at Mayo Clinic Health System in Faribault tried to effectively meet the needs of expectant mothers in the local Somali population. Through an innovative and [...]

The Sweet Charity Event, hosted by Matt and Allyson Bernstorf at the Northfield Golf Club on December 8th, was a huge success raising over $19,000 for three local charities including HealthFinders. Sweet Charity is a Live Dessert Auction Benefit for charity. The auction line-up included a beautiful selection of desserts created by numerous bakers and restaurants from around [...]

Early this past Fall, HealthFinders Collaborative hosted Rice County’s first Local Health System Summit. The summit brought together leaders from major local health organizations, including competing health systems to discuss how we might deepen our collective work. Executive leadership from Allina Health’s District One Hospital, the Allina Medical Clinics of Faribault and Northfield, Mayo Clinic Health System, Northfield Hospital [...]

Donor, volunteer provider, committee member, committee Co-Chair, volunteer recruiter, silent auction item donor, Gala bidder, Gala attendance promoter, community advocate, staff cheerleader and the list goes on; Dr. Bob Aby is a true champion of HealthFinders.  Dr. Aby is a caring physician volunteering in the Faribault clinic on a weekly basis and filling in when needed [...]

It’s no secret that care coordination leads to safer and more effective healthcare, improved awareness of patient needs, and greater efficiency within the clinic. Continue reading to gain some insight as into care coordination and learn how it plays out at HealthFinders Collaborative. What: Care coordination involves connecting patients to various resources such as diabetic [...]