Friend, Neb., hospital will receive federal bump as a new Rural Emergency Hospital

The hospital in Friend, Nebraska, will receive millions of federal funds after being approved for Rural Emergency Hospital status.

Warren Memorial Hospital in Southeast Nebraska will receive an average of $3.2 million annually from the federal government. It will also see a 5-percent boost in Medicare funding for outpatient services.

According to a release from the Nebraska Hospital Association, social services, an infusion clinic and multiple renovations will also make use of Warren Memorial’s federal dollars.

Rural Emergency Hospitals were established as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 passed by Congress, with the goal of ensuring access to health care and emergency services in rural areas.

It's the latest state news in a serious of events aimed at improving access to health care with federal funding. In the Nebraska Legislature, LB 941 and 942 would increase Medicaid funding for assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in the state. LB 1087 would increase Medicaid funding for hospitals in Nebraska.