Woodbury HealthCore

Photo: Tate Carlson

The recession which began in 2008 has brought economic challenges to cities across the U.S. Woodbury is no exception. Maintaining and growing a solid economic base is one of the missions of both the city and the chamber of commerce as Woodbury weathers this economic storm.

One key component of Woodbury’s economy now, and in the future, is health care. “Health care is a sector of the local economy that, along with education, has grown,” says Janelle Schmitz, planning and economic development manager, city of Woodbury. “It is truly a central piece of our community.”

A Look Back

Health care businesses have been an important part of Woodbury’s fabric since the 1960s, when farmland gave way to development on the western side of the city. Medical tenants moved into I-94-fronting space in Woodbury Heights as well as Woodlane Center and various office buildings along Woodlane Drive, just south of Valley Creek Road.

As development moved east in the next decades, so did the growth of health care in the community, with a core of medical businesses in the vicinity of Valley Creek Road and Radio Drive, including Allina and HealthPartners Clinics. The year 2000 brought another major medical player to the field with the opening of HealthEast’s Woodwinds Health Campus, drawing additional health care businesses to areas near the facility.

“In 2006-07, as we began work on an update to our comprehensive plan (commercial land use study), we did a year-long medical market study to determine what is best long-term for the city,” says Schmitz. “The hospital came in 2000 and really rejuvenated that side of town. We wanted to capture that and not lose that opportunity. But we were cognizant that our city’s health care businesses—there are up to 140, 10-15 percent of our city’s businesses—are spread throughout our entire city, and we want to retain and grow those as well.”

The results of the study? “The Woodbury market for medical was underserved and still in its infancy,” says Schmitz. “Thus as we moved forward with our 2010 strategic plan, with a clear and consistent vision for growth, we identified promoting Woodbury as a medical destination/growing health care businesses in our community as one of our key economic focus areas. That initiative, Woodbury HealthCore, prepares the city for its next stage of growth.”

A Look Forward

One component of Woodbury HealthCore is the establishment of a dedicated regional medical community campus district surrounding Woodwinds Health Campus, taking advantage of the unique opportunity for a concentration of medical-related uses and jobs anchored by Woodwinds. Another is the establishment of the Woodbury HealthCore Alliance, a joint effort between the city of Woodbury and the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce to bring together existing providers and medical businesses to network, share ideas and give back to the community.

“Setting up a medical collaborative and a medical corridor with Woodwinds as the anchor helps with the growth and development of health-related businesses in our community,” says Tom Schmitt, CEO of Woodwinds Health Campus. “It enables the much-needed focus for the health community to determine what is missing from our landscape and determine which businesses we need to promote, develop and grow to meet community needs.”

Medical-related business growth can also serve as an impetus for broader growth throughout Woodbury. “If we can keep drawing in businesses that are needed that provide jobs and help contribute to a vibrant community, that will only help with growing and sustaining other businesses in our city,” says Kim Snyder, membership director, Woodbury Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone wins!”

Cutting-Edge Initiative

Woodbury HealthCore’s mission to promote the city as a medical destination is truly unique. “We work in a number of communities in the region, and this is the first time I’ve seen a city take the initiative to do something like this,” says Alex Young, vice president, development, MSP Commercial. “Economic development people are typically looking at how to draw manufacturing facilities or corporate headquarters; for the most part, cities leave health care alone. Woodbury is on the cutting edge with this, and it makes sense. When people think about moving to a community, they think about neighborhoods and schools. They don’t always think about those support services they need, like health care, which is at the top when you’re raising a family. That will become even more important as Woodbury’s population grows older.

“In Woodbury, you don’t just have one player in town,” says Young. “HealthEast, Allina and HealthPartners have made a major commitment to the community. Choice is important, and Woodbury has choices for medical systems and providers. That’s healthy for both the consumer and the community as a whole.”

Through the Woodbury HealthCore initiative, the city of Woodbury is laying solid groundwork for future health care development. “The Woodbury community is a very progressive and vibrant community that demands and deserves the best that health care can offer,” says Schmitt of Woodwinds, the second largest employer in Woodbury and the single largest health care employer. “There are many great reasons people choose to live and work in Woodbury, and we want health care to be one of these reasons.”

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