HMN 2025: What are the tailored health policies to address Nebraska’s rural-urban disparities

A research team supported by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Grand Challenges initiative has published a new policy paper that calls for innovative, place-based solutions to advance health equity in Nebraska and beyond.

Led by Changmin Yan, associate professor of advertising and public relations in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, in collaboration with co-authors across UNL and partner health agencies, the paper, “Health equity in Nebraska: Addressing disparities through place-based policy innovation” was published in Frontiers in Public Health.

The paper brings together findings and policy recommendations from a statewide symposium of more than 180 public health leaders and community stakeholders. The work reflects one of the core outcomes of the Grand Challenges project: “Improving Healthcare Access for Underserved Populations.”

The authors highlight Nebraska’s “dual burden” of rural provider shortages and urban socioeconomic inequities, calling for policies tailored to each region’s unique drivers of health inequity. Their recommendations include:

• Expanding pediatric mental health services;
• Embedding social determinants of health interventions such as housing, nutrition and education supports;
• Strengthening healthcare access via telehealth, mobile clinics, transportation assistance and culturally appropriate services;
• Enhancing policy coordination across state, community and local levels.

This work offers Nebraska-tailored strategies that may also serve as models for other states facing similar rural–urban health divides. The publication underscores the research team’s commitment to advancing research that informs policy, strengthens communities and drives equitable health outcomes across the state.

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