Senate hears $45 million request to expand University of Minnesota community health clinics, mobile units and One Health pilot

Senate File 16-07, presented to the committee by Senator Morpavan, requests $45,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 to implement parts of the University of Minnesota’s health sciences strategic plan, including expanded support for the Community University Health Care Center (Cook), a Mobile Health Initiative and the One Health clinic pilot.

The bill’s sponsor described the request as an investment in health care access, workforce training and services to underserved communities. “This investment will allow the university to expand its partnerships, integrate hands on learning for students in underserved communities, and strengthen its mobile health, telehealth and One Health clinic initiatives,” the sponsor said.

Cook, the university‑affiliated community health center, told the committee it provides integrated primary, behavioral and dental care and serves a largely low‑income patient population. Rolly Dwivedi, CEO and chief clinical officer at Cook, said the center provided nearly 50,000 visits to more than 11,900 patients last year; roughly half of patients prefer a language other than English, 50% are on Medicaid and 25% are uninsured. Dwivedi said training students across health professions is a core function: Cook trained 85 learners who contributed more than 21,000 clinical hours last year.

“We train nurses, physicians, dentists, social workers, therapists, dietitians, pharmacists and many others,” Dwivedi said. He described needs that additional funding could address: preceptor time for clinicians, restoration and expansion of residency slots (including pharmacy residents), stabilization of women’s health programming, expanded specialty services such as physical therapy and eye care, and technology and operations investments to support learners and clinical staff.

Mobile Health Initiative

Jonathan Kirsch, clinical director for the University of Minnesota Mobile Health Initiative, told the committee the program brings preventive and low‑barrier care into communities where people live and work. The initiative has served thousands of patients and identified previously undiagnosed chronic conditions, Kirsch said, and plans to scale to serve as many as 25,000 patients annually with new mobile units being constructed with telehealth capability.

Kirsch described partnerships with community organizations and said mobile events have been popular in communities with lower trust in health systems. He said the mobile program currently operates dozens of community locations and more than a hundred events, offering experiential learning opportunities for students across medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and public health.

One Health clinic pilot

Erin Byrne, senior associate dean at the College of Veterinary Medicine, described a pilot One Health clinic in East Phillips in July 2024 that provided veterinary care alongside medical screenings for people. Byrne said 24 pets received veterinary exams and treatment, and medical and pharmacy students evaluated six people—one of whom had a very high glucose reading suggesting a new diabetes diagnosis. Byrne said the co‑located model encouraged people to seek care for themselves when care for their pets was also available.

Why supporters say it matters

Proponents argued the programs expand access for rural and underserved urban populations, reduce preventable hospitalizations, and provide workforce training that helps retain professionals in Minnesota. The University representatives said the request would help make community clinics more sustainable, restore training capacity and support interdisciplinary education that reflects service realities in rural and underserved communities.

Questions and next steps

Committee members asked about federal funding uncertainties, clinic budget pressures and the need for sustainable state support. The sponsor said she is working to find a House companion and asked for legislative support. The committee laid the bill over and signaled it would be considered further in committees that handle finance and budget matters.

Ending note

Testimony emphasized that the proposed funding would expand services and training capacity that currently serve tens of thousands of Minnesotans and provide interprofessional learning opportunities at scale; the bill now awaits further fiscal and appropriations review.