The Nebraska Hospital Association and the Nebraska Rural Health Association have unveiled a plan to improve health care in rural parts of the state.
The Roadmap to Strong Rural Health Care is touted as providing both short-and-long-term help.
Hospital Association President Jeremy Nordquist told a Capitol news conference on Monday that the Roadmap is a guide for state and federal officials on actions needed to protect health care in rural communities across Nebraska.
Nordquist said rural health care is suffering like all other industries because of inflation and workforce challenges, but was hit even harder by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of recruitment and retention of health care providers and professionals.
Rural Health Association Executive Director Jed Hansen said that besides bringing life-saving care to area residents, “strong rural health equals a strong rural Nebraska” economically.
Hansen said that’s because 14% of total employment in rural areas is directly or indirectly tied to health care delivery with every dollar spent in rural hospitals bringing an additional $2.30 to the economy.
Hansen and Nordquist both emphasized that the goal of the Roadmap to Strong Rural Health is to provide relief now while working toward stability and sustainability of Nebraska’s rural health care system now and in the future.