Southside Community Health Services opened a new East Lake Street Clinic in early May in South Minneapolis, offering medical, dental, vision, and behavioral health services to residents regardless of insurance status. The $30 million facility was funded partially by private donations and $3 million in congressional funding secured by U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar.
The clinic was built to fill a significant healthcare gap in an underserved corridor where Black and Latino residents face some of the highest uninsurance rates in the state. In Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, there are 32 community clinics, with only 15 offering services for those on Medicaid. Data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that the percentage of Minnesotans without health insurance increased to 5.8% in 2025, with rates among Black and Hispanic residents rising sharply between 2023 and 2025. Hispanic Minnesotans have the highest rates of uninsurance by race and ethnicity at 20.7%, more than triple the statewide rate, while Black Minnesotans are uninsured at nearly double the rate of all Minnesotans statewide.
The surrounding neighborhoods have higher poverty rates than the city average. Midtown Phillips, near the clinic, has a poverty rate of 40% compared to Minneapolis’s 17%. The Neighborhood Development Center reported in 2023 that only 36% of low-income South Minneapolis residents had received care at a community health center.
Senator Smith emphasized the clinic’s comprehensive approach: “What’s great about the Southside East Lake Street Clinic is that no matter what your health insurance is, or even if you don’t have health insurance, you can go and get fully integrated care. You can get dental care, cancer screenings and even behavioral therapy.” The clinic also offers services on a sliding fee scale, where patients bring proof of income to determine their payment level. Ann Cazaban, executive director of Southside Community Health Services, stated the organization believes “everyone has a right to high-quality health care” and that accessing quality primary care helps people identify health concerns earlier, keeping them out of hospitals and emergency departments.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://spokesman-recorder.com/2026/05/24/east-lake-street-clinic-south-minneapolis-health/