Nebraska DHHS launches dashboard for Rural Health Transformation Program

Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) unveiled a public dashboard on July 30 to track the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a five‑year federal initiative administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The state received $218.5 million for the first year of the program, which aims to improve health care access in rural areas.

The dashboard provides three main views: a map of awarded funding, a facility and license‑type map showing driving times to health‑care resources across Nebraska and neighboring states, and a data‑notes section explaining the program and its data sources. Users can filter the funding map by county, health‑care advisory region, behavioral‑health region, and legislative or congressional district. DHHS Director of Public Health Ashley Newmyer described the tool as a “step toward transparency and responsible stewardship in how we invest in the health of Nebraskans.”

Nebraska has experienced a net loss of two rural hospitals between 2001 and 2023 and four closures since 2000, underscoring the need for clearer oversight of rural health investments.