There are more than 285 doctors for every 100,000 residents in the northern state of Minnesota, according to the 2006 census. This makes Minnesota one of the top states in the United States for doctor/patient ratio. More than 17,000 doctors practice medicine in Minnesota, according to the state's Department of Health, offering potential patients a lot of choices.
Family and General Practice Medicine
For families and couples who need basic medical services such as yearly physical exams or cold and flu care, a family clinic like the Mid-Minnesota Family Medicine Center may work best for your needs. Staffed by residents from the University of Minnesota at St. Cloud, the clinic's sole location accepts both insured and uninsured patients. Faculty doctors from CentraCare Health Systems oversee the residents' work. The clinic partners with SAGE Minnesota Cancer Screening Program and the Tri-County Action Program, which assist low-income residents in Sherburne, Benton and Stearns counties. Doctors affiliated with general practice centers or clinics such as Mid-Minnesota treat all types of basic injuries and ailments and can refer you or your children to a specialist if necessary.
Children's Doctors and Clinics
Minnesota's children's hospitals utilize the services of pediatricians, but they also employ family practitioners, neonatal specialists, obstetricians, gynecologists and other doctors. With four hospitals located in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka and Roseville and clinics in Roseville and Woodwinds, the Minnesota Children's Hospital network has served the Twin Cities area since 1924. Clinical programs range from asthma education to sleep disorders and trauma care.
Minnesota offers other choices for children's medical care. The University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital, with two locations in Minneapolis, also serves the Twin Cities area. The Shriner's Hospital, also in Minneapolis, and the Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul provide specialty health services for children. Explore the children's hospital system to locate surgeons and general practitioners geared toward family health.
Medical Insurance Providers
Locate doctors through your insurance provider or check competing companies for a list of their affiliated physicians. You may need to do this through your employer or an insurance agent because many companies don't release provider information via their websites. According to eHealthInsurance.com, 97 percent of the doctors in Minnesota accept BlueCross and BlueShield of Minnesota. The Golden Valley, Minnesota-based Preferred One Health Care, Assurant/Fortis, Medica and HealthPartners also provide coverage for Minnesota residents.
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Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, opened in 1919. The southeastern Minnesota clinic employs 1,900 doctors and scientists and treats 300,000 patients from all over the world each year. Famous for its clinical trials and innovative medical procedures, the Mayo Clinic's doctors are respected for their expertise. Doctors with experience in pain rehabilitation, cardiovascular surgery, oncology and blood vessel diseases, among other specialties, are available to serve patients who need special care or who have exhausted all options at their local hospital.
Specialized Care
If you need treatment for cancer, heart disease or other chronic diseases, a hospital that deals primarily with a specific ailment is your best choice to find a good doctor. North Memorial, the only large independent care hospital in the Twin Cities area, has a heart and stroke care unit and a level 1 trauma department. The Humphrey Cancer Center, which provides comprehensive care for patients suffering from all types of the disease, is located in the North Memorial Hospital Outpatient Center in Robbinsdale. St. Mary's Duluth Cancer Clinic, affiliated with SMDC (St. Mary's/Duluth Clinics) Health Systems, is part of the SMDC Medical Center in downtown Duluth. Women with gynecological problems can contact The ObGyn Clinics West in Minnetonka or Eden Prairie to find a qualified doctor.
