Essentia Health has been recognized by Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Vocational Rehabilitation Services unit for its efforts in disability hiring. They were presented with the Outstanding Disability Employer Award during an event Monday, October 7.

Chad Nurminen, Essentia support service director, said the entire program has been rewarding for all involved.

“The recognition’s nice, but it’s not why we do this work,” he explained. We do this work because it benefits our community, our employees, the health system, and, most importantly, the individuals that participate in the program.”

Nurminen said, last year, 13 employees with disabilities put in a more than 7000 hours of work. He continued that Essentia hopes to expand the program more in the future.