MANKATO — A long-planned expansion into Scott County, a newly announced emergency grant and a full organizational rebrand are converging in 2026 for Open Door Health Center, as the southern Minnesota provider works to expand rural access to health care.
Open Door Health Center opened its new Shakopee clinic March 24 and introduced a new logo and updated branding after several years of planning and collaboration with regional partners, said CEO Kelly Kenley.
“It’s been exciting to see how receptive the community has been to medical services and how appreciative they’ve been, jumping right in and making appointments,” she said.
As a federally qualified health center, the facility serves patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Opening in Mankato under the name The Wellness Center in 1983, access to health care in southern Minnesota has been evolving ever since. The facility’s website states the commitment to “provide care and sliding fee discounts are available for those who qualify.”
The center is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization and the majority of funding comes from grants and community support.
Discussions around expanding into Scott County were already underway before her tenure began two years ago, with early efforts focused on addressing unmet demand for dental services in the area. The organization’s Jordan dental clinic, which opened in 2017, quickly reached capacity with four operating spaces and no room for expansion.
Scott County formally approached Open Door in 2019 about adding medical services and building on the success of the dental clinic, said Emily Heinis, director of communications. Initial attempts to secure a new site fell through before Scott County proposed redeveloping a bus garage at the Marschall Road Transit Station in Shakopee into a shared health facility. Kenley said the concept allowed multiple organizations with similar space constraints to co-locate services in a larger, more flexible building.
The renovated facility now houses multiple providers, creating what partners describe as an integrated approach to care delivery.
Kenley said Open Door occupies the entire second floor, where the clinic now operates nine dental operatories and has space for seven medical and behavioral health rooms designed for flexible use. She said all dental staff and patients from the Jordan clinic transitioned to the new site, providing an immediate patient base while expanding capacity. Allina Health operates outpatient mental health services on the first floor, including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment and addiction services and the Scott County mobile crisis team is also based in the building.
Kenley said the site’s location — adjacent to public transit and near the Scott County Family Resource Center — was a key factor, as it places health services alongside existing support systems for low-income residents, including assistance with nutrition programs, insurance enrollment and childcare resources.
“It feels like we’re close to Minneapolis, and we actually are geographically close. But not if you don’t have reliable transportation,” she said, noting it may be a short drive to affordable health care facilities in the metro area but could take hours when using public transit.
Dental demand drives growth
Dental care remains one of the most pressing needs across the region, particularly for patients who rely on Medicaid or lack insurance coverage.
Kenley said many patients delay care due to limited provider availability or cost barriers, often seeking treatment only when conditions become urgent. Expanding from four to nine operatories allows Open Door to address more routine and preventive care needs, which can reduce long-term strain on the system.
“There’s no doubt that the entire state of Minnesota, indeed our entire country, does not have enough dentists, dental hygienists, to properly offer care. And in Minnesota, private dental offices are not required to accept Medicaid,” Heinis said.
Medical and behavioral health services at the Shakopee site are still developing. Kenley said a medical provider is currently seeing patients several days per week, while behavioral health services are being offered through telehealth as the program grows.
Amid the expansion, Open Door Health Center received a $50,000 emergency grant from the Medica Foundation, announced April 15. The foundation said the funding is part of a $2.4 million statewide initiative to support community organizations facing increased demand and uncertainty.
“They support immigrant and BIPOC communities, and then mental health funding, immigrant rapid response and economic response funds. I definitely give Medica a ton of credit for being responsive, and at a time when we are just digging in and meeting the need,” Kenley said.
According to the Medica Foundation, the broader funding package includes investments in mental and chemical health programs, early childhood health initiatives and support for federally qualified health centers serving uninsured and underinsured populations.
Open Door has previously received funding from the foundation and described the grant as part of an ongoing partnership aimed at sustaining access to care for vulnerable communities. Kenley said demand for services continues to grow, particularly as patients face economic challenges and delay care, especially dental care, which does not have a telehealth alternative.
Medicaid uncertainty
The funding arrives as Open Door continues to monitor potential federal Medicaid changes that could affect its patient population and revenue. Kenley said proposed legislation could result in a loss of up to 30% of the clinic’s revenue. About 60% of Open Door’s patients rely on public insurance, while about 30% are uninsured.
Kenley said the organization is still waiting for federal and administrative guidance on how eligibility change would be implemented while preparing for the continued uncertainty tied to Medicaid policy changes. Without more information, projections remain uncertain.
Partnerships with health systems and local agencies will remain a key focus, particularly in efforts to reduce avoidable emergency room visits and strengthen access to primary and behavioral health care.
Open Door is working to prepare by educating patients about its sliding-fee discount program and coordinating with community partners to help individuals maintain eligibility where possible, Kenley said. She added the clinic is planning for scenarios in which patients lose coverage, noting that demand for services is expected to remain regardless of insurance status.
“We actually anticipate that with all of this, we will have an increase in the number of patients and a decrease in patient revenue,” she said. “Nothing about changing your insurance status makes your medical needs magically go away. So it does lead to people delaying care, which increases the severity of their medical needs, which increases the long-term cost of care.”
The facility will continue expanding services at the Shakopee location while maintaining its broader mission of providing care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.