Medica Brings Jobs to the Midway Area

SAINT PAUL — Medica today announced the opening of a new office in the Midway area of St. Paul, to bring jobs, training and economic opportunities to this community beginning in early 2021.

Medica's Midway office will initially offer jobs for call center and claims operations positions. This new office, located in the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation building, will enrich Media's workforce, create a local space for more meaningful listening to the needs of the diverse population served by the Medica team, and enable Medica to become fully immersed in the community.

"At Medica, we are deeply committed to ensuring that health improvement and economic opportunities are available to the diverse population we are privileged to serve," said John Naylor, Medica President and CEO. "I look forward to working with our new employees from the Midway area and celebrating their contributions to Medica and our community."

The neighborhoods surrounding Wilder Center (Summit-University, Frogtown/Thomas-Dale, Union Park, Hamline-Midway) are home to one of the most diverse communities of its size in the country, according to data found on Minnesota Compass. The Black or African American population makes up 22.7% of all residents of the neighborhood. The Asian or Pacific Islander population is also well represented at 12.7%, and Hispanics or Latinos make up 5.5% of the residents. The neighborhoods also have a higher concentration of millennials than average, and a smaller share of the population approaching retirement, making the Midway area a location for people in the community to grow their careers at Medica.

Following the tragic loss of George Floyd and others across the country, Medica reexamined its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and recognized it needed to do more. The decision to open this new office is one of the non-profit's steps in its journey to advance racial equity and hire employees from the diverse communities it serves. As part of its strategy, Medica will explore opportunities to partner with the Wilder Foundation and others around community health and economic stability.

"Wilder understands the importance of making jobs available and accessible as a way to improve community well-being," said Armando Camacho, President and CEO, Wilder Foundation. "We are pleased Medica is investing in this community and look forward to partnering with them to fulfill our vision of a more prosperous St. Paul."

Medica's relationship with GREATER MSP was also instrumental in finding the right neighborhood for the new office, helping identify and secure a location that will allow Medica to best meet the needs of the community.

"Medica's commitment can become the start of a new generation of investment in the University Avenue corridor and a potential model project other companies could replicate," said Peter Frosch, President & CEO, GREATER MSP. "This is the kind of project we would like to do more of in St. Paul, in Minneapolis and across the region. I would encourage other corporate leaders to consider it."