Nebraska is putting more than $177 million in federal rural health funding toward recruiting health workers, creating community health worker jobs, and adding remote care tools, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on Oct. 13. Recruitment and retention awards have already produced signed contracts with providers in 51 counties, according to CMS.
For rural Nebraskans, the changes could show up in practical ways, though CMS has not said how many patients have been reached. A new community health worker may help a patient find a regular doctor or manage diabetes, and a small-town clinic may gain remote monitoring equipment that lets nurses track a patient's condition between visits.
