Posted 06/28/2000
Contact: Andrew Svec, 218-281-8380
UMC
to Serve as Home Base for Health Care Purchasing Alliance
Lori Bergland Olson to Serve as Coordinator
The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) will serve as the home base for the Northwest Minnesota Health Care Purchasing Alliance. The Alliance is supported by a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health. The grant was funded by the Minnesota Legislature in its 1999 session. The concept for the Alliance grew out of a concern about the number of people in rural Minnesota who are not able to afford health care coverage.
UMC’s Civic Health Initiative was designated as the agency to receive the grant and to organize the Alliance because of its demonstrated capacity for civic organizing and its history of partnership work with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. UMC Chancellor Don Sargeant comments, “UMC is pleased to be designated as the recipient of the Health Care Purchasing Alliance grant. We take this to be an endorsement of our outreach work with the Minnesota Extension Service, and we welcome the opportunity to connect UMC's health related academic programs with the region’s health care agencies. We are pleased that Lori Berland Olson will provide leadership for this new alliance."
Lori Bergland Olson has been hired to coordinate the effort. Olson comes to the Alliance with a firm background in community organization and an understanding of rural issues. She and her husband have operated a family farm near Thief River Falls since 1978, and she has served as a Farmers Union Field representative, as manager of the Red Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District, and as a DFL party activist. Initially, Olson will spend time visiting communities and assessing needs in the seven county area to be served by the Alliance. Those counties include Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau.
“Providing affordable health care benefits for employees and the self-employed is a major challenge to the economy of this region. The Health Care Purchasing Alliance is working hard to address the problem,” says Barbara J Muesing, Director of Outreach at UMC and principal investigator for the Minnesota Department of Health Alliance Project. “Lori Bergland Olson understands the issues, and she knows the seven county area. This makes her an ideal person for the coordinator role.” Muesing has been involved with the Alliance since its infancy.
Community information meetings held throughout the seven northwest Minnesota counties in October 1999 involved more than 100 citizens. During these preliminary meetings, volunteer leaders came forward to organize a board of directors. University Attorney Greg Brown provided technical assistance with incorporation.
The Alliance Board is currently designing and marketing a product with January 2001 set as the target date to offer a new option for health care coverage. The option is especially designed for small business, farmers, manufacturing, non-profits, and government entities.
Members of the Alliance Board include Ginny Armstrong, Thief River Falls; Orren Bendickson, Thief River Falls; Kathy Carlson, Fosston; Rick Failing, Hallock; Jody Horntvedt, Baudette; Brian Johnson, Hallock; Tom Jorgens, Crookston; Gladyce LaCrosse, Red Lake Falls; Patty Langehaug, Badger; Tom Rogus, Stephen; Jack Schmalenberg, Crookston; Bonnie Stewart, Fosston; Deb Sovde, Greenbush; and Lola Underdahl, Newfolden.
For more information, contact Lori Bergland Olson, Coordinator, Northwest Minnesota Health Care Purchasing Alliance, at 218-681-1877.