NHA presents ‘Roadmap to Strong Rural Health’ in Lincoln

AT SIX WORLD HEALTH CARE. IS THAT RISK? AS INFLATION HITS EVERY NEBRASKAN, ITS IMPACT ON RURAL HOSPITALS WITH SMALL MARGINS AND LOW FINANCIAL RESERVES HAS BEEN DEVASTATING. AND THE NEBRASKA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION SAYS WITHOUT ACTION, THOSE HOSPITALS IMPACTED COULD BE FORCED TO SHUT THEIR DOORS. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M JULIE CORNELL. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. THE ASSOCIATION RELEASED A ROAD MAP THAT IT BELIEVES CAN HELP PROTECT HEALTH CARE SERVICES ACROSS THE STATE. KETV NEWSWATCH 7. JOEY SAFCHIK BREAKS DOWN WHAT’S IN THE REPORT AND SHE JOINS US LIVE WITH TONIGHT’S BIG STORY. ROB. JULIE RURAL POPULATIONS TEND TO BE OLDER AND RELY HEAVILY ON MEDICAID, RURAL HOSPITALS HOPE STATE SENATOR WILL INCREASE REIMBURSEMENT RATES OR UPFRONT PAYMENTS ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, DECLARING COVID A GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY. HEALTH CARE LEADERS SAY SIDE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ARE FELT FAR AND WIDE, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL NEBRASKA. STRONG RURAL HEALTH EQUALS A STRONG ROLE. NEBRASKA, AT ONE HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN YORK, INFLATION HIT HARD IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. LABOR COSTS ARE UP 20%. THE COST OF DRUGS UP 35%, AND FOOD AND UTILITY PRICES UP 10%. NEBRASKA HOSPITALS WILL RECEIVE A MINIMAL PAYMENT INCREASE, WHILE THE COSTS HAVE SOARED. PLUS, A RECENT SURVEY FINDS 93% OF NEBRASKA HOSPITALS HAVE A WORKER SHORTAGE ON ANY GIVEN DAY. WE DON’T HAVE THE STAFF ON A SHIFT TO HAVE OUR FULL 25 PATIENTS. 68% OF THE STATE’S HOSPITALS ARE RURAL. NEARLY TWICE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. WE KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL RURAL NEBRASKA HOSPITALS FACING AN UNSUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL FUTURE AND ARE AT RISK OF CLOSING. THE FHA HOPES PART OF THE CURE COMES FROM LEGISLATION ADDRESSING MEDICAID OVERSIGHT. NURSE TRAINING AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ACCESS. NEBRASKA IS THE ONLY STATE THAT DOES NOT PROVIDE SPECIFIC FUNDING FOR THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. THESE HOSPITAL CEOS WORRY IT CAN TAKE MONTHS, EVEN YEARS, FOR CRITICAL ACCESS. HOSPITAL TO RECEIVE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS. AND WHEN HOSPITALS CAN’T AFFORD TO FUNCTION AND PATIENTS SUFFER AFTER YEARS OF DELIVERING BABIES. WE STOPPED OUR LABOR AND DELIVERY SERVICES AND IT WAS A HARD ONE FOR US. IT WAS HARD FOR THE COMMUNITY. BUT WE HAD TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE COULD DO. AND LIKE YOU JUST HEARD MATERNAL CARE, PEDIATRICS AND NURSING HOMES ARE OFTEN THE SERVICES

‘Strong rural health equals strong rural NE’: NHA presents ‘Roadmap to Strong Rural Health’ in Lincoln

Rural populations in Nebraska rely heavily on Medicaid, according to the Nebraska Hospital Association. Rural hospitals hope state senators will increase reimbursement rates, or up front per diem payments during this legislative session.

Updated: 7:43 PM CST Jan 30, 2023

On the third anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring a global health emergency, health care leaders said side effects of the pandemic are felt far and wide, especially in rural Nebraska.”Strong rural health equals strong rural Nebraska,” said Jed Hansen, the executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association.At one hospital system in York, NE, inflation is hitting hard. In the last two years, labor costs are up 20%, the cost of drugs is up 35%, and food & utility prices went up 10%.”Nebraska hospitals will receive a minimal payment increase while the costs have soared,” said Jim Ulrich, CEO of York General.A recent survey also finds 93% of Nebraska hospitals have a worker shortage.“On any given day, we don’t have the staff on shift to have our full 25 patients,” said Ulrich.Sixty-eight percent of Nebraska hospitals are rural, which is nearly twice the national average.”We know there are several rural Nebraska hospitals facing an unsustainable financial future and are at risk of closing,” said Nordquist. The NHA hopes part of the cure comes from legislation addressing Medicaid oversight, nurse training, and behavioral health access.”Nebraska is the only state that does not provide specific funding for career and technical education programs,” said Julie Rezac, the CEO of Saunders Medical Center in Wahoo, NE. The hospital CEOs at Monday’s press conference worry it can take months, even years, for critical access hospitals to receive Medicaid reimbursements. When hospitals cannot afford to function, they say, patients suffer.”After 100 years of delivering babies, we stopped our labor and delivery services. And it was a hard one for us. It was hard for the community, but we had to focus on what we could do,” said Ryan Larsen, CEO of Community Medical Center in Falls City.

LINCOLN, Neb. —

On the third anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring a global health emergency, health care leaders said side effects of the pandemic are felt far and wide, especially in rural Nebraska.

“Strong rural health equals strong rural Nebraska,” said Jed Hansen, the executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association.

At one hospital system in York, NE, inflation is hitting hard. In the last two years, labor costs are up 20%, the cost of drugs is up 35%, and food & utility prices went up 10%.

“Nebraska hospitals will receive a minimal payment increase while the costs have soared,” said Jim Ulrich, CEO of York General.

A recent survey also finds 93% of Nebraska hospitals have a worker shortage.

“On any given day, we don’t have the staff on shift to have our full 25 patients,” said Ulrich.

Sixty-eight percent of Nebraska hospitals are rural, which is nearly twice the national average.

“We know there are several rural Nebraska hospitals facing an unsustainable financial future and are at risk of closing,” said Nordquist.

The NHA hopes part of the cure comes from legislation addressing Medicaid oversight, nurse training, and behavioral health access.

“Nebraska is the only state that does not provide specific funding for career and technical education programs,” said Julie Rezac, the CEO of Saunders Medical Center in Wahoo, NE.

The hospital CEOs at Monday’s press conference worry it can take months, even years, for critical access hospitals to receive Medicaid reimbursements. When hospitals cannot afford to function, they say, patients suffer.

“After 100 years of delivering babies, we stopped our labor and delivery services. And it was a hard one for us. It was hard for the community, but we had to focus on what we could do,” said Ryan Larsen, CEO of Community Medical Center in Falls City.

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