Calling it an opportunity to “change rural Nebraska forever,” University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen and other testifiers voiced their support Thursday for a project that would expand health care education at UNK.
Speaking before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, Kristensen promoted the proposed Nebraska Rural Health Education Building as a way to address urgent health care workforce shortages while strengthening communities across the state.
“The pandemic has had a major impact on every facet of rural health providers. Clinics and hospitals can confirm the problems they have in hiring staff to provide care to the residents of this state,” he told lawmakers. “These shortages limit the health care that we in rural Nebraska can access, and they severely impact the ability of communities to attract new residents and businesses.”
