ST. CLOUD, Minnesota – The University of Minnesota’s new CentraCare St. Cloud regional campus officially opened in August, with the arrival of its first class of 24 students to begin training in partnership with the School of Medicine.
These students are currently completing clinical rotations at local clinics and learning point-of-care skills such as bedside ultrasound – work that university leaders say is central to a long-term plan to address Minnesota’s rural physician shortage.
University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, who visited St. Cloud on October 16, called the opening of the new campus “phenomenal” and emphasized the importance of the university’s 30-year clinical partnership with Fairview Health Services, which expires at the end of 2026, and the ongoing statewide clinical collaboration between the university and officials.
Cunningham said reports that Duluth-based Essentia Health had withdrawn from negotiations were premature – discussions with multiple health systems are ongoing.
“We are in the process of negotiating and signing the contract,” Cunningham said in an interview with St. Cloud Live. “The state needs a viable plan and business model so that our medical school can continue to thrive.
This model has to work, or we will lose both the St. Cloud and Duluth campuses.” She added that while Fairview will remain a partner, the final arrangement may involve multiple systems and take different forms.
The university—which historically provides approximately 70% of Minnesota’s practicing physicians—has a history of medical training dating back to 1888 and has long emphasized primary care and rural workforce development.
In 1972, the university opened its Duluth campus to serve rural and Native American communities; last year, the university reconfigured the Duluth campus’ program so that students can now complete all four years of their studies in Duluth, rather than splitting time between classes in the Twin Cities.
The St. Cloud program is led locally by Regional Director Chris Fallet and Assistant Dean Jill Amesbury.
Fallett, an alumnus, has taught at the university since 2008; Amsberry trained at the university and worked at CentraCare for more than a decade.
Enrollment is expected to continue growing: officials anticipate enrolling up to 96 students by 2028, with a maximum of 24 graduates each year, aiming to prepare more doctors to practice in Greater Minnesota.
CentraCare data shows the need is acute. By 2027, approximately one-third of rural physicians plan to retire. The university says there are currently about three physicians per 100,000 people in rural areas, while metropolitan areas have about 33 per 100,000 people—a gap the training program aims to narrow.
Cunningham, who described her training experience in a remote area as profoundly impactful, said the university’s mission extends beyond academic degrees: “We train all health care providers who interact with the community in many ways.”
A strong medical school, she added, attracts faculty, research funding, and clinical trials that benefit Minnesota communities.
The new campus opening comes amid broader turmoil in federal funding. Since the partial government shutdown began on October 1st, several federal grants and programs have changed. On October 15th, the federal government suspended new SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) applications, disrupting benefits and leading to the layoffs of more than 80 people statewide, including staff at the outreach office in St. Cloud, which administers the SNAP program.
Cunningham stated that the University of Minnesota is closely monitoring federal changes and working to align its grants and research with evolving federal priorities.
During her regional tour, Cunningham also visited university campuses in Morris, Willmar, and Alexandria, and toured a dental clinic in Willmar that partners with CentraCare—a key provider for Medicaid patients in 17 counties, she emphasized.
She noted that training students across Minnesota increases the likelihood that they will remain in rural communities. “Success will be measured by healthier rural communities and whether physicians trained here choose to stay in Minnesota,” Cunningham said. “There are many aspects to this question, but developing service-oriented clinicians is one of the things the University of Minnesota can and will do.”