Crystal Zaviska

Crystal supervises a team that determines eligibility for public assistance programs including Medicaid for Pope and Grant County Human Services.

“In rural Minnesota, we have access to critical access hospitals as a result of them being funded through 60% of Medicaid funding. Without Medicaid in our area, we would lose those hospitals resulting in all community members needing to travel over an hour to access care. People forget that. People who are not recipients of Medicaid are also impacted, and they lose these services that are in our communities.” 

“Most of our enrollees are employed. They're full time, but their wages are underneath the Medicaid guidelines so they're eligible … We're talking your local bus drivers in our area, it could be a CNC machinist, it can be the cook at the school serving your children, it’s self-employed construction workers … They're your neighbors.”