In Nebraska, a concerning situation unfolds where more than half of its counties face a shortage of maternity services. Two-thirds of rural critical access facilities are struggling financially, with as many as 10 on the verge of closure. These dismal figures were presented to lawmakers this Wednesday morning.

Impact on Women's Access to Birth Services

Dr. Gerald Luckey from the Nebraska Medical Association revealed that between 2017 and 2023, Nebraska lost 57 primary care physicians, including 41 family medicine doctors. A significant 15.9% of women have no birthing hospital within a 30-minute radius. And the problem is only worsening, as Dr. Libby Crockett, an OBGYN in Grand Island for the past eight years, pointed out. She has witnessed a rise in congenital birth effects over the years, which is far beyond what they have ever seen before.It is evident that more physician-level trained and certified nurse midwife trained professionals need to be in these communities. Creating better incentives for recruitment and retention is crucial. A recent survey shows that if new attending physicians and certified nurse practitioners have family in a rural community, they are more likely to stay. Financial incentives like student loan repayment also play a big role. As the Nemaha County Hospital CEO stated, anything that helps the hospital will have a positive economic impact on the rural community.

Government Programs to Aid Rural Health

The NE Dept. of Health and Human Services has two programs offering loan repayment of up to $50,000 a year for qualified medical care providers willing to work in designated shortage areas. These programs are seen as a win-win situation, as the NE DHHS Deputy Director emphasized. Lawmakers were also informed that reimbursement rates need to be adjusted to ensure the survival of rural centers. Jed Hansen from the Nebraska Health Association proposed a tiered system that could better align reimbursement and infrastructure investment with the specific needs of communities.

Innovations in Rural Health Care

Shane Farritor's work with surgical robots and Virtual Incision is bringing hope to rural areas. He believes that remote surgery is the future and has lots of potential use cases. Next week, he and his team are planning a non-clinical surgery on an animal in a critical access hospital in Columbus, which will be performed by doctors in Lincoln. Their idea is to enable patients to stay in their communities while receiving support from local general surgeons. This approach helps rural communities achieve greater health equity and better access to specialists in a more conducive healing environment, allowing them to stay close to their loved ones and community.