NHA share new initiatives for mental health in community

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Hospital Association shared the new ways facilities in the area are giving back to the community and providing mental health care at a press conference Tuesday morning.

The NHA released a 2024 Community Benefits Report, which identifies the collective impact of Nebraska hospitals.

“Nebraska hospitals are the lifeblood of our communities,” NHA President Jeremy Nordquist said. “They provide essential patient care as well as significant economic benefits throughout Nebraska communities.”

According to the NHA, Nebraska hospitals provide around $1.56 billion in community benefits annually, including a traditional charity care for those that are not able to pay and cover bad debts for care they received.

In the Zoom, three representatives from Nebraska centers joined to share updates about what they are currently doing to continue improving their care and uplifting Nebraskans.

“At the Nebraska Hospital Association, we are extremely proud of the collective impact of our member hospitals and the care they provide in our state,” Nordquist said.

In the Zoom, Nordquist said it is important to ask “How can we help strengthen or communities health and well being?”

Children’s Nebraska is dedicated to improving access to care and Chanda Chacón, the president and CEO, said that she wants to leave an impact on the community.

Chacón said that one of the programs Children’s Nebraska started recently is Children’s Outreach for Provider Education, rather known as COPE, where they have trained over 94 providers across the state to help treat mild to moderate mental health in youth and adolescence and have since seen great outcomes.

“It’s our job to do better,” Chacón said.

Children’s Nebraska has partnered with United Way and the 211 line to get patients and family the help they need, even outside of just healthcare.

President and CEO of Columbus Community Hospital Mike Hansen said that 2/3 of what they do focuses on community benefit to prevent people from coming to the hospital so they have the space that they need for those emergencies.

“That’s what it’s really all about,” Hansen said.

Hansen shared that in January, they opened a $55 million field house that addresses wellness in Columbus and they see about 12,000 visitors a week.

Hansen said he is “starting to see impact on the community.”

Howard County Medical Center Administrator Arlan Johnson said that they now have five mental health providers, which is “almost unheard of for a small town community hospital.”

Johnson said that he talks to patients on a daily basis, trying to improve the health of people out there in the community and even went out to see what it would look like to have a wellness center and put together a plan.

Howard County now has a wellness center that opened just this year with a pool, walking track, therapy services, swim lessons, aquatherapy among more initiatives.

“We are committed to our communities and to our state to make a difference,” Johnson said.

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