Medical

There are nearly 6,000 healthcare jobs in Kandiyohi County, making it the region’s top industry and that number continues to grow. Thanks to state-of-the art technology and top-notch medical providers, Kandiyohi County’s medical facilities draw from a large area of Minnesota.

Some of the county’s major employers include CentraCare – Rice Memorial Hospital and CentraCare Clinics. Rice Hospital is a Level 3 Trauma hospital serving a 14-county area. It is home to the CentraCare – Willmar Cancer Center, private family birth suites and round-the-clock care in obstetrics, pediatrics and family medicine and CentraCare Rehabilitation Center, a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center for cardiac, physical, occupational and speech therapy. CentraCare also operates a long-term care facility, CentraCare – Willmar Care Center and a short-term facility, CentraCare – Willmar Therapy Suites. There are dozens of providers in Kandiyohi County offering a wide range of services from medical to dental to vision to holistic medicine.

Kandiyohi County has seen a huge investment in healthcare, with a $21 million project completed at Bethesda, a facility that provides a full continuum of care, including skilled nursing care, short-stay therapy centers, home health care, outpatient therapy, independent and assisted living, adult day services and a wellness center. Bethesda also completed a $3.3 million construction of a new Town Center and Chapel renovation project. In 2021, Bethesda North Pointe opened in New London with 70 senior apartments in a town center concept featuring a chapel, cafe, activities area, inter-generational play spaces, library, creative arts workshops, salon and work activity center. In 2018, CentraCare – Willmar Surgery Center completed construction of a new $11 million surgery center that includes pre-op, recovery, operating and consult rooms and accommodates expected growth in outpatient surgery.

Since most jobs in healthcare require post-secondary education, Ridgewater College’s programs in the healthcare field provide a boost in the healthcare workforce in Kandiyohi County, including a newly-formed partnership between Ridgewater, Bethesda, CentraCare – Rice Hospital and CLUES for Certified Nursing Assistant training.