Smith Visits Sidney Constituents

Congressman Adrian Smith spent the morning in Sidney Monday, with business and healthcare foremost on his agenda.

Smith opened the morning at Lukjan Metal products, presenting its leadership team with the 2018 Third Congressional District Excellence in Economic Development Award. Lukjan was named as one of 11 individuals and businesses helping to strengthen Nebraska communities through innovation, hard work, entrepreneurship, and historic preservation.

Smith presented the award, along with a proclamation that had been entered into the Congressional record, extolling the company for its part in bringing new business to Sidney and Nebraska.

At an open office meeting held at the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce, Smith met with local business owners and residents to hear their concerns and tell about the work he is performing in Congress.

Healthcare was a big part of both sides of the discussion, with Smith telling about his Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalization (RUSH) Act, recently introduced in Congress to address the healthcare needs in skilled nursing care facilities.

Smith said, "many of us have family or friends living in skilled nursing facilities and we want them to have access to the best care available in the event of an emergency.

But, Smith said having the best care is not always the case. In information from his office, Smith outlines that despite the availability of new technologies and qualified medical professionals in nursing facilities, seniors and the disabled across our country are frequently transported to hospital emergency rooms to receive emergency care.

His proposal is to use available telehealth to allow first responders and providers to consult with doctors to reduce unnecessary trips to the emergency room. He said by using such tools, emergency room visits could go down as much as 45 percent.

One thing his bill hopes to address is reimbursement for services, which has held using the alternative service back.

Smith also heard constituents' stories and concerns over healthcare costs.

Having seen some of Sidney's progress through Lukjan's success, Smith also asked those present about the state of Sidney, asking about the problems resulting from changes at Cabela's/Bass Pro.

Sidney Mayor Joe Arterburn got nods of agreement from many in the room when he said the city isn't dwelling on those problems.

"We're working on the things that we can do," Arterburn said, "and not being dependant on something we can't change."

Sidney Regional Medical Center CEO Jason Petik said in his estimation, the "optics" of Sidney have changed over the past couple of years. He said now as people are looking at Sidney, one of the draws they are seeing "is our potential for growth."

Smith closed the session with thanks for the stories and input, wishing Sidney and its residents well as they move forward.