MN · 87 Counties
Minnesota Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Minnesota's 145 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 145 active hospitals across 87 counties, including 76 Critical Access Hospitals and 81 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Minnesota?
Minnesota's 145 hospitals collectively operate 17,763 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Minnesota have no hospital?
8 of Minnesota's 87 counties (9%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Minnesota?
Of Minnesota's 145 hospitals, 41 are not-for-profit, 10 are for-profit, and 94 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Minnesota?
6 rural hospitals have closed in Minnesota since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Minnesota?
The median operating margin for Minnesota's hospitals is 2.0% as of FY2025. 17 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Minnesota have negative operating margins?
17 of Minnesota's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Minnesota?
The average occupancy rate across Minnesota's hospitals is 44.6% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Minnesota?
Minnesota receives 22 active HRSA grants totaling $121.6M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($81.9M), Flex Program ($32.3M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($5.8M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Minnesota?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Minnesota, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $81.9M across 16 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Minnesota?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Minnesota, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $32.3M across 4 grants. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Minnesota?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Minnesota, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $5.8M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Minnesota?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Minnesota, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.5M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Minnesota?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Minnesota are: Rural Health Resource Center ($83.6M); Minnesota Department Of Health ($14.3M); Regents Of The University Of Minnesota ($13.0M); Children'S Dental Services ($4.5M); Wilderness Health, Inc. ($1.7M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Minnesota receive?
Minnesota receives $193.1M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $965.5M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Minnesota Department of Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Minnesota?
Minnesota Department of Health is the designated lead agency managing Minnesota's $193.1M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Minnesota?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Minnesota's $193.1M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Minnesota's counties?
Across Minnesota's 87 counties, the average diabetes rate is 9.2%, obesity rate is 38.0%, and uninsured rate is 6.0%. There are 6.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Minnesota's communities?
Minnesota has 4 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.28 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 947 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 483 in primary care, 225 in dental health, and 239 in mental health. An estimated 18,357,212 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Minnesota have?
Minnesota has 5,158 primary care physicians (89.9/100k population), 7,772 nurse practitioners, 4,189 physician assistants, and 4,590 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,937 with a 15.5% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Minnesota at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Minnesota's average county-level rates: diabetes 11.8%, obesity 37%, depression 24.1%, frequent mental distress 15.5%, smoking 15.4%, and high blood pressure 34.2%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 89 FQHC sites operated by 17 grantee organizations. 19 sites (21.3%) are in rural areas and 70 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 111 HRSA medically underserved designations: 93 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 18 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 55.3 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Minnesota prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Minnesota?
Federal data on Minnesota's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 145 hospitals in Minnesota.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Minnesota Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Minnesota's 145 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.