By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

The Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners has joined in efforts to support long-term care employee recruitment and retention.

To that end, County Commissioner Betty Murphy of Maine Township brought up this issue with the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC), of which Otter Tail County is a member.

Specifically, Murphy, on Dec. 8, spoke with members of the AMC’s Health and Human Services Policy Committee.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Minnesota, long-term care facilities in Otter Tail County and elsewhere are facing prolonged staffing shortages. This results in less care for patients and financial problems.

AMC is a statewide organization that assists all of Minnesota’s 87 counties. 

The association works closely with the Minnesota State Legislature and administrative branches of government in seeing that legislation and policies remain favorable to the counties.

AMC also provides educational programs for county employees along with training, research and communications.

Otter Tail County also is a member of the Minnesota Inter-County Association (MICA). The 14 members are growing counties that comprise a major portion of Minnesota’s population and economy.

Two of the larger counties, in addition to Otter Tail County, include Stearns (St. Cloud area), and Winona County.