Over the next five years, Nevada will get nearly $180 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program. John Packham, associate dean for the Office of Statewide Initiatives at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, said he’s never seen anything like it.
“This is, in the 26 years I’ve been doing this, a historic opportunity for the state, but more importantly, for rural communities that often get neglected or get to stand in line with health care priorities that are dominated by urban areas of the state,” Packham said.
Funds can go toward four main categories: programs that improve health outcomes; technology such as telehealth; provider recruitment; and rural health infrastructure, such as ambulances. State officials said applications should include a sustainable plan, not one that asks the legislature for help later. Packham, who plans to apply for a slice of the pie, said he would invest in workforce programs that have proven effective.
“It’s not a very effective strategy to train kids who grew up in Reno or Las Vegas to go practice in a place like Yerington or Ely or Winnemucca. You really want to be thinking in long terms about what you can do to get those kids in Yerington, Winnemucca, and Ely interested in health care careers, support them through the high school, college and then, in some cases, advanced professional education like medicine or nursing or pharmacy,” Packham said.
There are huge health care gaps in rural Nevada, from primary and mental health to chronic diseases, dental care and substance use treatment, Packham said. He’s approaching the situation with a glass-half-full mindset. The money was a political trade-off for Medicaid cuts to win over some Republicans last year. Rural Nevada could lose $553 million in federal Medicaid spending, according to KFF.
“Just as we’re addressing rural health care, those providers stand to be hammered over the next couple of years with cuts from Medicaid,” Packham said. “We also witness the expiration of subsidies for insurance plans. Doesn’t look like Congress is in a rush to make that fix.”
These changes, Packham said, could lead to people going uninsured and hospital closures. Applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program will open later this year.
