There are plans in the works for a new health and wellness center in West Duluth.

Lake Superior Community Health Center is partnering with the City of Duluth and other partners to seek state funding to support planning and pre-design for a regional, multi-purpose community center.

Representatives will be attending Duluth and St. Louis County Days at the Capital February 12 and 13 to advocate for $250,000 in planning funds during this legislative session.

The proposed Lake Superior Community Health and Wellness Center would be located adjacent to Laura MacArthur Elementary School and would provide expanded and updated space for the community health center along with a resource hub offering programming and services to youth and families in the Greater Duluth region.

“When we think about issues like hunger or housing or insurance status, those all have a profound impact on people’s health that isn’t directly impacted within the exam room. And so what can we do to provide those supports in a location that makes it easy for folks to access in a meaningful way,” shared Lee Homan, CEO of Lake Superior Community Health Center.

Current project partners include the City of Duluth, Duluth Public Schools, Valley Youth Center, Duluth Community School Collaborative, Health Equity Northland, and Riverfront Community Development.

Across the region, recent Bridge to Health survey results indicate over 30% of residents have delayed seeking medical care. Similarly, access to oral health services is a challenge for Medicaid recipients and the uninsured, with only 35% and 36% of Medicaid recipients having reported a dental visit in the last year in St. Louis County and Carlton County, respectively.

In Duluth, LSCHC currently provides integrated family medicine for adults and children, dentistry, behavioral health services and chiropractic care. Collectively, the organization provides care for nearly 11,000 patients from across the region. 

Over 50% of patients served in 2024 have household incomes below 100% of Federal Poverty Level; 66% were Medicaid recipients; and 6% had no source of health insurance.  LSCHC accepts all insurances and, for those without insurance, sliding fee discounts are available based on income and household size. No one is ever turned away for an inability to pay.

The LSCHC Board has identified the need to update the Duluth clinical space due to aging infrastructure and the increasing need for services, particularly dental care. According to Lee Homan, CEO for LSCHC, “Investing in this new, expanded space would be a forward-thinking decision that addresses immediate healthcare needs – like expanding access to low-income dentistry – while laying the foundation for long-term, regional public health and economic benefits. By improving access to care, reducing health disparities, and fostering community resilience, the state can foster a healthier future for residents of northern Minnesota.”

Janet Kennedy, Duluth City Councilor for District 5 adds, “Stakeholders in western Duluth wholeheartedly support this project because they recognize the value expanded access to health is in a hub designed to provide wrap-around support for our region’s most vulnerable. It can also address a need for shared space for meetings and workshops, workforce training classes, access to services, technology, community health and active living programs for all ages.”