2026 Minnesota Statutes

144.1505 HEALTH PROFESSIONALS CLINICAL TRAINING EXPANSION AND RURAL AND UNDERSERVED CLINICAL ROTATIONS GRANT PROGRAMS.

Subdivision 1.Definitions.

For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) "eligible advanced practice registered nurse program" means a program that is located in Minnesota and is currently accredited as a master's, doctoral, or postgraduate level advanced practice registered nurse program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, or presents a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(2) "eligible dental therapy program" means a dental therapy education program or advanced dental therapy education program located in Minnesota that:

(i) is approved by the Board of Dentistry;

(ii) is currently accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation; or

(iii) presents a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(3) "eligible mental health professional program" means a program that is located in Minnesota and is currently accredited as a mental health professional program by the appropriate accrediting body for clinical social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, or licensed professional clinical counseling, or presents a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(4) "eligible pharmacy program" means a program that is located in Minnesota and is currently accredited as a doctor of pharmacy program by the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education or presents a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(5) "eligible physician assistant program" means a program that is located in Minnesota and is currently accredited as a physician assistant program by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, or presents a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(6) "mental health professional" means an individual providing clinical services in the treatment of mental illness who meets one of the qualifications under section 245.462, subdivision 18;

(7) "eligible physician training program" means a medical school training program or a physician residency training program located in Minnesota that is currently accredited by the accrediting body or has presented a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(8) "eligible dental program" means a dental education program or a dental residency training program located in Minnesota and that is currently accredited by the accrediting body or has presented a credible plan as a candidate for accreditation;

(9) "project" means a project to (i) plan or implement a new eligible clinical training program or increase the base number of trainees in an existing eligible clinical training program, or (ii) add or expand rural rotations or clinical training experiences in an existing eligible clinical training program;

(10) "rural community" means a Tribal Nation, statutory city, home rule charter city, or township in Minnesota that is outside the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2; and

(11) "underserved community" means a Minnesota area or population included in the list of designated primary medical care health professional shortage areas, medically underserved areas, or medically underserved populations maintained and updated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Subd. 2.Programs.

(a) For advanced practice provider clinical training expansion grants, the commissioner of health shall award grants to eligible physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, pharmacy, dental therapy, and mental health professional programs to plan and implement a new eligible clinical training program or increase the base number of trainees in an existing eligible clinical training program. Clinical training must take place in communities outside the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, or in underserved communities. A planning grant shall not exceed $75,000, and a three-year training grant shall not exceed $300,000 per project. The commissioner may provide a no-cost extension for grants.

(b) For health professional rural clinical rotations grants, the commissioner of health shall award grants to existing eligible physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, pharmacy, dentistry, dental therapy, and mental health professional training programs to add, expand, or enhance rural rotations or clinical training experiences, such as credential or certificate rural tracks or other specialized training. Rotations and clinical training experiences must take place in rural communities, excluding the cities of Duluth, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud. For physician and dentist training, the expanded training must include rotations in primary care settings such as community clinics, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, or practices in rural communities.

(c) Advanced practice provider clinical training expansion grant funds may be used for:

(1) planning and implementing a new clinical training program or increasing the base number of trainees in an existing clinical training program as described in paragraph (a);

(2) recruitment, training, and retention of students, faculty, and preceptors;

(3) connecting students with appropriate clinical training sites, internships, practicums, or externship opportunities;

(4) travel and lodging for students;

(5) faculty, student, and preceptor salaries, incentives, or other financial support;

(6) development and implementation of health equity and cultural responsiveness training;

(7) evaluations of the clinical training program to inform program improvements;

(8) training site improvements, fees, equipment, and supplies required to establish, maintain, or expand a training program;

(9) supporting clinical education in which trainees are part of a primary care team model; and

(10) onboarding expenses for trainees to meet clinical training site requirements.

(d) Health professional rural clinical rotation grant funds may be used for:

(1) adding, expanding, or enhancing rural rotations and clinical training experiences in an existing clinical training program as described in paragraph (b);

(2) recruitment, training, and retention of students, faculty, and preceptors;

(3) connecting students with appropriate clinical training sites, internships, practicums, or externship opportunities;

(4) travel and lodging for students;

(5) faculty, student, and preceptor salaries, stipends, or other financial support;

(6) development and implementation of health equity and cultural responsiveness training;

(7) evaluations of the rural rotation or clinical training experience to inform program improvements;

(8) training site improvements, fees, equipment, and supplies required to establish or expand rural rotations or clinical training experiences;

(9) supporting clinical education in which trainees are part of a primary care team model; and

(10) onboarding expenses for trainees to meet clinical training site requirements.

Subd. 3.Applications.

(a) Eligible physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, pharmacy, dental therapy, dental, physician, and mental health professional programs seeking a grant shall apply to the commissioner. Applications for advanced practice provider clinical training expansion grants must include a description of the number of additional students who will be trained using grant funds and attestation that funding will be used to support an increase in the number of clinical training slots.

(b) All applications must include a description of the problem that the proposed project will address; a description of the project, including all costs associated with the project; sources of funds for the project; detailed uses of all funds for the project, and the results expected; and a plan to maintain or operate the project after the grant period, including a description of potential barriers to sustainability. Applicants must describe achievable objectives, a timetable, and roles and capabilities of responsible individuals in the organization.

(c) Applications for rural clinical rotation grants must include a description of the new, expanded, or enhanced rural rotations or clinical training experiences; attestation that funding will be used to support improved rural clinical training experiences; and information about length of training and training site settings, geographic location of rural sites, and rural populations expected to be served.

Subd. 4.Consideration of applications.

The commissioner shall review each application to determine whether or not the application is complete and whether the program and the project are eligible for a grant. In evaluating applications, the commissioner shall score each application based on factors including, but not limited to, the applicant's clarity and thoroughness in describing the project and the problems to be addressed, the extent to which the applicant has demonstrated that the applicant has made adequate provisions to ensure proper and efficient operation of the training program once the grant project is completed, the extent to which the proposed project is consistent with the goal of increasing access to primary care and mental health services for rural and underserved urban communities, the extent to which the proposed project incorporates team-based primary care, and project costs and use of funds.

Subd. 5.Program oversight.

The commissioner shall determine the amount of a grant to be given to an eligible program based on the relative score of each eligible program's application, including rural locations as applicable under subdivision 2, paragraph (b), other relevant factors discussed during the review, and the funds available to the commissioner. Appropriations made to the program do not cancel and are available until expended. During the grant period, the commissioner may require and collect from programs receiving grants any information necessary to evaluate the program.

History:

1Sp2017 c 6 art 10 s 61; 2023 c 70 art 4 s 25; 2024 c 127 art 59 s 20; 2026 c 127 art 1 s 19-21