Nebraska Rural Health Association

10/20/2026

🩺 Rural Nebraska needs nurses, and nurses need our support.

Bedside nursing is hard work. Keeping nurses in our rural communities takes a commitment from hospitals, schools, and the communities they serve.

That means getting creative with loan repayment, housing, and opportunities to make friends and put down roots.

It also means stronger partnerships between nursing schools and rural hospitals, giving students on-the-job experience to learn bedside skills and get to know their hospital and team while still in school.

And support shouldn’t stop at graduation. Preceptorships pair new nurses with experienced colleagues who help them move from books to bedside, building confidence and competency along the way. Those experienced nurses need time and support to teach, too.

❤️ Bringing nurses to rural Nebraska is just the start. Helping them feel prepared, supported, and connected gives them reasons to stay.

The field can command six-figure salaries, but understaffing and persistent violence are pushing nurses off the front lines.

10/11/2026

NeRHA Executive Director Jed Hansen was honored to join a panel of nursing leaders celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Tau Tau, Nebraska Methodist College's local chapter of Sigma International.

The conversation explored nursing, leadership, and scholarly work, highlighting the role nursing plays in advancing care and shaping the future of healthcare in Nebraska.

Thank you Nebraska Methodist for your commitment to nursing excellence and in bringing people together to celebrate this milestone. And, congratulations to Tau Tau on 20 years of supporting nursing leadership and scholarship!

10/07/2026

A special thank you to for being a 2026 Silver Sponsor!

Their generous support helps us continue our work to promote and enhance the quality of rural health across our communities. We are proud to partner with organizations that share our commitment to improving health outcomes in rural areas.

09/30/2026

Executive Director Jed Hansen along with Danielle Cork and Morgan Springer proudly represented the Nebraska Rural Health Association at the 3rd Annual Vet MOM (Mission of Mercy) Event. Vet MOM is an incredible event that provides free dental care to eligible veterans and their spouses, helping ensure those who have given so much to our country receive the care they deserve.

Every year, we are honored to volunteer our time alongside so many dedicated professionals, community organizations, and volunteers. Watching this event grow and impact more lives each year is truly inspiring. As the need continues to expand, so does the opportunity to serve. NeRHA would love to support the future growth of this event and hopes to help bring additional medical services to veterans and their families in the years ahead.

If you are a healthcare professional, medical organization, student, volunteer, or know someone who may be interested in participating in next year's event, we would love to connect with you. Together, we can continue making a difference for the men and women who have served our country. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's Vet MOM event a success. We look forward to serving even more veterans in the future!

09/23/2026

Rural patients remain underrepresented in healthcare research, and practices developed in urban settings may not translate well to rural care. The Greater Nebraska Rural Research Network (GNRRN, pronounced "grin") is a rural-led network that connects Nebraska healthcare professionals and communities with researchers and larger institutions.

GNRRN provides the relationships, coordination and practical infrastructure smaller organizations need to explore and conduct rigorous research. Interested in collaborating? Complete the collaboration form 🔗https://nebraskaruralhealth.org/site-collaboration/

09/16/2026

Rural Veterans deserve access to care close to home.🫡🇺🇲

NeRHA is proud to be working alongside U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs leadership and Nebraska’s rural hospitals to make that happen.

Thank you to Under Secretary John Figueroa for hosting NeRHA and leadership from Cozad Community Health System and Gothenburg Health this week as we continue advancing VA External Provider Scheduling across Nebraska.

Participating Nebraska hospitals will receive $73,000 to support the technology and outreach needed to connect more Veterans with care right in their local communities.

Better access. Care closer to home. Stronger support for those who served.

09/15/2026

CHI Health St. Mary's’s in Nebraska City shows what’s possible when high-quality surgical and oncology care is available close to home. By bringing together providers across surgery, oncology, infusion, emergency, and primary care, St. Mary’s creates a connected approach to care that helps rural patients receive the treatment they need without the added burden of traveling to larger cities.

For patients and families, that local access can make a meaningful difference. From same-day surgical care to ongoing oncology treatment, St. Mary’s helps patients navigate complex care while remaining close to their support system. The relationships built between providers and patients also create continuity that can be difficult to replicate in larger healthcare settings.

Thank you to our partners at Creighton University’s Institute for Population Health, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and the Nebraska Hospital Association for their support in telling our latest I Love Rural Health story, how St. Mary’s is strengthening rural healthcare through collaboration, local access, and a commitment to caring for the whole person. By investing in specialty services and the people who provide them, St. Mary’s is helping ensure that patients in Nebraska City and surrounding communities can receive exceptional care close to home.

09/09/2026

A special thank you to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska for being a 2026 Silver Sponsor!

Their generous support helps us continue our work to promote and enhance the quality of rural health across our communities. We are proud to partner with organizations that share our commitment to improving health outcomes in rural areas.

09/07/2026

This Labor Day, we want to recognize the incredible healthcare professionals serving communities across Greater Nebraska.

Healthcare doesn’t stop for holidays, nights, or weekends. Every day, physicians, nurses, EMS professionals and countless others sacrifice time with their own families and friends to make sure Nebraskans can receive local care in the moments they need it most.

Thank you to everyone who keeps our rural hospitals, clinics, EMS services, and healthcare organizations running 24/7.

From all of us at the Nebraska Rural Health Association, Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇲

09/03/2026

Mental and behavioral health challenges affect rural communities across Nebraska, where access to care can be limited and the need for support continues to grow. Across the state, health care organizations, community leaders, educators, and providers are working together to improve access to care and build stronger systems of support closer to home.

The latest edition of Greater Nebraskan Health shares stories of people, partnerships, and progress while highlighting the organizations helping strengthen behavioral health services in rural communities.

Learn more in the latest issue of Greater Nebraskan Health: https://loom.ly/RHt8ncY