Sanford Health Joins Industry Leaders to Highlight Innovation Improving Access to Care

Sanford Health joins global industry leaders in Minnesota this week for meaningful discussions on how innovation is reshaping access to health care in underserved communities.

The Medical Alley 2026 Summit takes place Thursday in Minneapolis. The fifth annual event fosters collaboration and features insights and expertise to develop solutions that drive health innovation.

Jeremy Cauwels, M.D., chief medical officer at Sanford Health, is a featured panelist in a discussion that explores how providers, startups and industry leaders are building sustainable solutions that bring care closer to those who need it most. The session, entitled Innovating for Access: Breaking Barriers to Care in Rural America, also features Kolby Kolbet, chief innovation officer at Life Link III and Sheri Dodd, chief executive officer at Tactile Medical. Lisa Shannon, the chief executive officer at Allina Health, is moderating the discussion.

“With two-thirds of our patients living in rural areas, innovation is how we bring care closer to home,” said Cauwels. “By expanding access through virtual care, leveraging AI tools to support our providers and giving residents hands-on exposure to rural medicine, Sanford Health is reimagining care delivery to strengthen access, quality and sustainability.”

Virtual care is one of Sanford Health’s most established and scalable care delivery capabilities, expanding access, strengthening workforce sustainability and improving health outcomes. Built over more than a decade, Sanford Health’s virtual services span nearly 80 specialties – from behavioral health to oncology and pediatric pulmonology – and support patients across clinics, hospitals, long-term care settings and home environments. By delivering advanced clinical services through technology-enabled models, Sanford Health allows patients to receive timely care where they live, reducing travel burden and care delays that are more acute in rural communities.

Sanford’s commitment to innovation is translating into measurable improvements in access and outcomes. Since launching direct-to-consumer virtual behavioral health visits in 2023, nearly 12,000 patients who had not previously accessed behavioral health services have engaged in virtual care. Together, these results reflect the progress Sanford Health has made – and its role in helping pioneer the future of care delivery for patients and communities.

An innovative partnership between Sanford Health and Hennepin Healthcare is helping address the rural physician workforce shortage by giving emergency medicine and psychiatry residents hands-on training in rural northern Minnesota. Through one-month rotations at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center and nearby clinics, the program enhances physician training while strengthening the pipeline of clinicians more likely to choose careers in rural communities.

Born in South Dakota and raised in northwest Iowa, Cauwels has bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biology from the University of Northern Iowa and a medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He completed his residency and a chief resident year at the University of Kansas in Kansas City, Kansas. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Society of Hospital Medicine.