Northern Dental Access Center in Bemidji Wins Award for Rural Health Care

(l-r) Alan Morgan, NHRA CEO; Jeanne Edevold Larson, Northern Dental Access Center Executive Director and Erica Lundberg, Northern Dental Access Center Director of Finance and Operations. (Photo Credit: Northern Dental Access Center)

Northern Dental Access Center in Bemidji was recently recognized as one of the National Rural Health Association’s 2022 Rural Health Award recipients, winning this year’s Outstanding Rural Health Organization award.

NRHA gives out awards each year to both people and organizations in the field of rural health that have shown dedication of their time and talent in order to improve the health and well-being of others. Award winners were honored on May 10th-13th during NRHA’s 45th Annual Rural Health Conference held in Albuquerque, NM.

Northern Dental Access Center is a nonprofit/community clinic that provides dental care to low-income families across many counties in rural northwest Minnesota.

“We’re extremely proud of this year’s winners, particularly because of the extra challenges rural health care providers have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” says NRHA CEO Alan Morgan. “They have each made tremendous strides to advance rural health care, and we’re confident they will continue to help improve the lives of rural Americans.”

Also recognized were Healthy Hillsboro in Hillsboro, IL and Massachusetts General Hospital Rural Medicine Program in Boston, MA, which were both given the Outstanding Rural Health Program Award.