Boosting health care in rural communities
Among the seven cooperative principles is one known as “concern for community,” which states that beyond providing service to members, cooperative businesses must work toward the development of sustainable communities.
Great River Energy works with all of its 28 member cooperatives to ensure that the communities they serve have economic activity, jobs and all of those things that make an area a great place to live. One of the most important components of livable communities is health care.
“In addition to providing reliable, affordable power, we’re out to increase the quality of life of our members,” said Great River Energy Economic Development Director Tom Lambrecht. “Health care is a vital component of community strength.”
Great River Energy has helped enhance health care in greater Minnesota by helping its members earn funding from state, regional and national programs that offer grants and loans.
“Our members are tuned in to what’s going on in the community, so we help them get the financial boost that they may need to bring a project to reality,” added Lambrecht.
Great River Energy’s economic development efforts have generated $3.5 million in funding for hospitals and clinics that serve Minnesota’s cooperative members. This year alone, Great River Energy has helped three cooperatives secure financing for major expansions at medical facilities.
Through a program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Lake Region Electric Cooperative received more than $680,000 in funding for Essentia Health St. Mary's Clinic to build a new clinic in Pelican Rapids, Minn. According to the terms of the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program, the loan will be made with a low interest rate.
In February, Great River Energy assisted North Itasca Electric Cooperative in securing a $740,000 loan that will be used to remodel and expand the Bigfork Valley Hospital. The project includes a new outpatient pharmacy, 24-hour wellness area, dietary kitchen and conference rooms.
A $740,000 USDA loan was recently awarded to Lake Country Power to re-lend to the Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet, Minn., for an expansion project. Although Lake Country Power doesn’t provide electric service to the hospital, the residents in the surrounding townships will benefit from the hospital expansion.
The economic development efforts of Great River Energy and its member cooperatives are another way that electric cooperatives are improving the quality of life in communities they serve.
