In recent years, the Federal government has attempted some misguided, budget-cutting strategies which would have ignored the unique needs and dynamics of underserved, rural populations in America and the rural health clinics that serve them.
The Rural Health Clinics Program (RHC Program) was established in response to the unmet needs of Medicare and Medicaid recipients in underserved areas of rural America. In the RHC Program, the federal government crafted a plan to encourage physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and physicians to practice together in rural areas. Today, rural health clinics are an integral part of the Nebraska health care delivery system, with over 130 federally certified rural health clinics providing primary care services for rural Nebraskans.
The Nebraska Rural Health Association is the only Nebraska non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to improving the access to quality health care in rural Nebraska. Our mission is to bring together diverse interests and provide a unified voice to promote and enhance the quality of rural health through leadership, advocacy, coalition building, education and communications.
With NeRHA’s unique and specific focus on the rural health, the Nebraska Rural Health Clinics – Constituency Section (NRHC-CS) was started two years ago to serve as an important advocate for the needs of rural health clinics in the State of Nebraska. It is a vital link between Nebraska rural health clinics and federal legislators and regulators as well as advocating on dozens of other issues of interest to rural health clinics.
