Who are we?
The Rural Health
Advisory Commission is a governor-appointed commission consisting of thirteen members as
follows: (1) the Director of Public Health of
the Division of Public Health or his or her designee and one other representative of the
Department of Health and Human Services; and (2) eleven members appointed by the Governor
with the advice and consent of the Legislature. These
11 members include one representative of each medical school located in the state involved
in training family physicians, one physician in family practice residency training, one
rural physician, one rural consumer representative, one rural hospital administrator, one
rural nursing home administrator, one rural nurse, one rural physician assistant, one
rural mental health practitioner or psychologist licensed under the requirements of
section 38-3114 or the equivalent thereof, and one rural dentist. (NE Revised Statutes Section 71-5654) |
 All files are in PDF format.
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What is our purpose?
The purpose of the
commission, according to statute, is to advise the Department of Health and Human Services
– Division of Public Health, the Legislature, the Governor, the University of
Nebraska, and the citizens of Nebraska regarding all aspects of rural health care and to
advise the Office of Rural Health regarding the administration of the Rural Health Systems
and Professional Incentive Act. (NE Revised
Statutes Section 71-5655)
What are the specific duties of the Rural Health
Advisory Commission?
By statutory authority the
commission has the following powers and duties: (1)
advise the Department of Health and Human Service – Public Health Division
(department) regarding the development and implementation of a state rural health policy;
(2) advise the department and other appropriate parties in all matters relating to rural
health care; (3) serve as an advocate for rural Nebraska in health care issues; (4)
maintain liaison with all agencies, groups, and organizations concerned with rural health
care in order to facilitate integration of efforts and commonality of goals; (5) identify
problems in the delivery of health care in rural Nebraska, in the education and training
of health care providers in rural Nebraska, in the regulation of health care providers and
institutions in rural Nebraska, and in any other matters relating to rural health care;
(6) prepare recommendations to the appropriate bodies to alleviate the problems
identified; (7) advise the department
regarding the Rural Health Systems and Professional Incentive Act; (8) designate health
profession shortage areas in Nebraska; and (9) select recipients of financial incentives
available under the act. (NE Revised Statutes
Section 71-5659)
For additional information about the Nebraska Student Loan and Loan Repayment Programs,
please contact Marlene Janssen, Health Program Manager and Executive Director for the
Rural Health Advisory Commission, marlene.janssen@nebraska.gov,
(402) 471-2337. |
