Minnesota is currently undergoing a shortage of health care professionals and this shortage is projected to increase over the next few years, despite the high percentage of health care degrees awarded at the university of Minnesota. As a result the people in Minnesota are facing an increase in major chronic illnesses. The University of Minnesota is requesting for a budget to develop community based models of healthcare that will help increase the overall health of the people in Minnesota. The different health professions at the University of Minnesota work together to develop a comprehensive academic health centers.
This budget request is important because the goal of the healthcare department is to improve the health of the community. Pharmacists are part of the healthcare community and have an important responsibility to ensure the community is in proper health. One of the suggested reasons for the shortage in health care professions is lack of students in underrepresented communities.
One proposal to overcome this challenge is to develop a statewide network of up to six interdisciplinary primary care teaching clinics. The goal of the project is to improve education by expanding education and training programs to address workforce shortages in dentistry, mental health and geriatrics.
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Increasing interdisciplinary teaching clinics will also increase access to healthcare in underserved populations. New community-based models will also target a more diverse patient population. The research in the chronic illnesses will also provide treatment and cures for chronic diseases and conditions. One disadvantage of this proposal is that it might take years before the benefits can be seen in the health care of the community. Moreover, carrying out research requires a lot of funding, therefore if the funding is provided, it might not cover any of the other proposed