Minnesota community health centers will receive more than $15 million in grants under the federal health reform law, according to an announcement Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

The grants will help the centers serve an estimated 9,700 patients, Sebelius said.

The Minnesota grants, totalling $15,363,727, are among $728 million in national awards announced Tuesday under the Affordable Care Act. The grants are designed to help community health centers nationwide expand and improve services to 860,000 patients.

In Minnesota, the largest grant -- $4.8 million -- will go to the Open Door Health Center in Mankato.

Other grant recipients include:

• $4 million to West Side Community Health Center in St. Paul.

• $2.9 million to Neighborhood Healthsource in Minneapolis

• $2.2 million to the University of Minnesota

• $500,000 to Open Cities Health Center in St. Paul

• $498,611 to Cook Area Health Services in Cook, Minn.

• $357,600 to Lake Superior Community Health Center in Duluth.

Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384