Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
In 2022, CARE Clinic saw 979 unique dental patients and 409 unique medical patients. 49% of dental patients and 42% of medical patients were new to the clinic, reflecting the effectiveness of our community outreach. We provided 2,421 dental encounters, 1,163 medical encounters, and 856 MNsure encounters, similar to the 2021 stats of 2,436 dental encounters, 1,169 medical encounters, and 950 MNsure encounters. After identifying an increased need for mental health services among patients and expanding the capacity of our mental health program, we nearly doubled our mental health encounters from providing 292 encounters in 2021 to providing 587 encounters in 2022.
CARE Clinic provided in-school oral health care to 46 unique students and provided a total of 59 patient visits. CARE Clinic provided school-linked dental care to two school districts in the spring and three school districts in the fall.
Our 2022 Patient Satisfaction Survey results were positive, with 97% of patients agreeing with the statement “CARE Clinic personnel clearly understood my concerns”, 99% of patients agreeing with the statement “I received assistance identifying ways to improve my health”, and 96% of patients agreeing with the statement “My health improved as a result of my visit to CARE Clinic”, and 95% of patients agreeing with the statement “CARE Clinic personnel provided me with information about additional community resources (food, clothing, employment, access to health insurance).” 100% of patients agreed that clinic personnel were respectful and caring.
Current Goals
In 2023, CARE Clinic aims to improve health equity and health care access by serving 1350 unique patients, providing 2,500 dental encounters, 1,150 medical encounters, 600 mental health encounters, and 900 MNsure encounters. In the fall, we will begin providing school-linked dental care at an additional public school district, serving a total of four public school districts.
Community or Constituency Served
CARE Clinic serves low-income (275% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or below), uninsured/publicly insured patients.
Geographic Area Served
CARE Clinic is based in Red Wing, a rural community in southeastern Minnesota, and serves Goodhue County as a whole. Red Wing is an hour away from both the Twin Cities and Rochester, which can pose a barrier for many rural low-income patients seeking free or affordable care, particularly for patients who need culturally and linguistically sensitive services which are more readily available in urban areas.
