Trending Now - Nebraska Hospital Crisis Highlights Shortcomings of Rural Health Fund

WHO:

PBS - Rick Saint John and Jane Saint John are residents of Creighton, Nebraska.

PBS - Dr. Ben Young is an infectious disease specialist and policy expert with the Wellness Equity Alliance.

PBS - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the rural health fund.

PBS - Dr. Mehmet Oz is the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

PBS - Kush Desai is a White House spokesman.

PBS - Theresa Guenther is the CEO of Avera Creighton Hospital.

PBS - Barry DeKay is a Republican state senator in Nebraska.

PBS - Matt Hager is a hospital board member in North Dakota.

WHAT:

PBS - Avera Creighton Hospital is facing financial peril.

PBS - The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program is intended to help rural hospitals.

PBS - The fund allocates $10 billion per year for five years across all states.

PBS - Rural hospitals are expected to lose $137 billion over the next decade.

PBS - Nebraska received $218 million for the rural health grants' first installment.

PBS - Nebraska plans to spend approximately $90 million on various health initiatives.

PBS - The fund offers $10 million to "right size" rural critical access hospitals.

WHERE:

PBS - Creighton, Nebraska is the location of Avera Creighton Hospital.

PBS - The rural health fund is a national initiative affecting rural hospitals across the United States.

PBS - North Dakota is mentioned in relation to a rural hospital receiving a low-interest loan.

WHEN:

PBS - The Rural Health Transformation Program was included in President Trump's tax-and-spending law in 2025.

PBS - Medicaid work requirements are set to go into effect in 2027.

PBS - The letter from the Colorado Hospital Association was sent in December 2025.

WHY:

PBS - The financial issues facing rural hospitals are compounded by cuts to Medicaid initiated by the Trump administration.

PBS - The $50 billion fund is intended to transform rural health care rather than maintain existing hospitals.

HOW:

PBS - The fund is designed to support innovative health care delivery solutions rather than direct financial support for struggling hospitals.

PBS - Nebraska plans to use the federal funds for healthier food options, recruiting health care workers, and mobile health monitoring technologies.

(UPDATED April 4, 2026 03:49 UTC)

Avera Creighton Hospital in Creighton, Nebraska is currently facing significant financial challenges, prompting Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to highlight the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program aimed at assisting rural hospitals across the nation. This initiative, which was included in President Trump's tax-and-spending law in 2025, allocates $10 billion annually for five years to help address the expected $137 billion loss rural hospitals will face over the next decade. Nebraska has already received $218 million from the first installment of rural health grants and plans to invest approximately $90 million in various health initiatives, including healthier food options and recruiting healthcare workers.