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Migrants can help address Nebraska’s health care shortage • Nebraska Examiner

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2024

Migrants can help address Nebraska’s health care shortage • Nebraska Examiner

Nebraska is at risk of becoming a health care desert. Thirty counties currently lack hospitals, staff and infrastructure serving the rural population. At the same time, many of the hospitals we do have lack nurses and rely on hiring traveling labor from other states, which is costly. It’s estimated Nebraska needs to hire 5,435 nurses to fill this gap.

This is affecting Nebraskans’ health outcomes, especially in the areas of maternal health, primary care and end-of-life care. But there is an obvious solution: welcoming more skilled migrant health care workers.

Migrants play an essential role at all levels of the health care ecosystem — and they are vital when foreign patients face linguistic and sociocultural challenges. Nebraska is home to a growing and diversified migrant population. In 2021, nearly 143,000 of the state’s residents were foreign born. A portion of these workers were heath care workers in their home countries, yet cannot work in their field in the United States.

As it stands, foreign-educated nurses, nurse aides and physicians must undertake lengthy exams and training in order to work here. For nurses, Nebraska requires the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools exam, followed by the National Council Licensure Examination. Foreign-trained physicians, meanwhile, are often required to pass up to three U.S. Medical Licensing Exams and re-complete a residency program.

Most international medical physicians must also apply for an H-1B or J-1 visa in order to come to the United States and enroll in residency programs. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer programs are sponsoring these visas due to cost and time requirements. Even when successful, these processes can take years for workers and their spouses, delaying the start of training.

While most immigration policy is made at the federal level, Nebraska does have tools to address this situation.

The Nebraska State Boards and hospitals could remove some of the requirements for foreign-trained doctors and nurses. Many of these policies are set at the state board level, giving our health care leaders flexibility to address the shortage. New Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, Utah and New York, for example, have already eliminated the CGFNS exam for nurses.

Boards could also issue more temporary restricted licenses for foreign-trained physicians and allow them to work in rural areas without them having to re-complete a residency program. Many states have begun relaxing requirements and issuing temporary licenses to allow physicians to work in rural areas — and Illinois and Tennessee have passed legislation to allow foreign physicians a pathway to permanent licensure.

Nebraska’s congressional representatives should put pressure on federal agencies to accelerate the visa granting process for foreign trained workers and their spouses. This would reduce the financial and emotional burden placed on families and more quickly staff positions in which health care labor is needed.

Finally, to assess key challenges and progress over the long term, a consortium is needed, with relevant public and private sector collaboration to address the issue of foreign-trained skilled health care workers going forward.

To be sure, foreign-trained health care workers do not have the same educational background as U.S.-trained staff. While this is a valid concern, frequent training once on the job could assure that staff stay up-to-date with advances and clinical guidelines. This is already a regular practice for traveling nurses and physicians, who receive training when they switch hospitals to stay up to speed. The same could be done with migrant health care workers, which would be more economical than hiring costly traveling health care workers.

Critics might also point to the linguistic barrier that foreign staff may face. On the contrary, these workers would be a tremendous linguistic and cultural asset to the care of our growing migrant patient population.

While the majority of the immigration narrative focuses on undocumented migrants, it is important to remember that skilled legal migrants also face difficulties and sometimes prejudice during their process toward being legally allowed to work in the United States. As Nebraska’s health care system suffers due to a lack of skilled workers, it is imperative that we incorporate more skilled health care migrants into the workforce so we don’t become a health care desert.

These changes will require collaboration between government and the private sector, as well as a reduction in the stigma typically associated with foreign-trained workers and migrants. But the opportunity exists – we only have to be brave enough to pursue it.

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How to Watch No. 8 Nebraska Basketball vs. Oregon with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Published

12 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 8 Nebraska Basketball vs. Oregon with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The writing was on the wall that the magical start to the 2025-2026 season was over for the Nebraska men’s basketball team.

Indiana’s sharpshooting Lamar Wilkerson and MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries had the Huskers in a bind, shooting over 57% in the first 20 minutes to eventually build a 16-point lead with just under 18 minutes left in the game. Starring defeat in the face, NU didn’t blink, piling up 53 second-half points, including eight three-pointers to shock the Hoosiers and silence a packed Assembly Hall Saturday in Bloomington.

Jamarques Lawrence poured in 27 points while Rienk Mast (13), Pryce Sandfort (12) and Braden Frager (11) each joined their teammate in double figures. The Huskers nailed 14 three-pointers while committing six fewer turnovers, winning in areas that are key to taking victories in the Big Ten.

Standing at 16-0, Nebraska returns to Lincoln to face a conference newcomer facing their own difficulties. Here’s all you need to know for Tuesday’s late-night tip against Oregon.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 8 Nebraska (16-0, 5-0 B1G) vs. Oregon (8-8, 1-4 B1G)
When: Tuesday, January 13
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 8 p.m. CST
Watch: Big Ten Network
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Oregon head coach Dana Altman has led his teams to at least 20 wins in 26 of the last 27 seasons. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Oregon Scout

Head Coach

Dana Altman | 16th season at Oregon; 37th as Division I HC
378-170 (.690) at Oregon; 788-413 (.656) Career DI Record
17x NCAA Tournament Apps., 1x Final Four (2017), 1x Elite Eight, 3x Sweet 16, CBI Title (2011)
4x Pac-12 Regular Season & Tournament, 6x MVC Tournament, 3x MVC Regular Season
Jim Phelan Award (2013), 3x Pac-12 Coach OTY, 2x MVC Coach OTY, Big Eight Coach OTY (1993), SoCon Coach OTY (1990)
Previous head coach at Creighton, Kansas State, Marshall, Moberly CC, Southeast CC
Previous assistant at Kansas State and Western Colorado

2024-2025 Record & Awards

Record: 25-10 (12-8 B1G, T-7th)
All-B1G: 2x Third Team, 2x All-Defensive

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 8-6
Feb. 2, 2025, last matchup, 77-71 Nebraska

Oregon center Nate Bittle (32) averages over 16 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Nate Bittle | C | Sr. | Returning All-Big Ten center that’s leading the Ducks with 16.8 points and second on the squad with seven rebounds per contest.
Jackson Shelstad | G | Jr. | The second of two All-Big Ten honorees returning for Oregon this year, and he’s improved his production to over 15 points per game while leading the team in assists (59) and second in three-pointers made (33).
Kwame Evans Jr. | F | Jr. | Key reserve last season, but has turned into an instrumental piece of the starting lineup with 13.3 PPG and 7.6 RPG, which are both nearly double the average from last year.
Dezdrick Lindsay | F | Sr. | Missed all of last season due to injury and has returned to score 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in starting six of his 16 appearances this year.

Key Departures

TJ Bamba | G | Graduated | Ended his college career by averaging over 10 points per game and three rebounds as a 35-game starter for Oregon in 2024-2025.
Keeshawn Barthelemy | G | Sr. | Part-time starter that mostly played as the premier scorer off the bench with 10 PPG and Oregon’s top three-pointer shooter with 63 made.
Brandon Angel | F | Graduated | Starting forward who chipped in over eight points and nearly four rebounds per game.
Jadrian Tracey | G | Graduated | Another part-time starter that contributed solid minutes and added 6.9 PPG in 35 appearances.
Supreme Cook | F | Graduated | Depth forward that scored 4.7 points and grabbed 2.6 rebounds per game in 32 appearances off the bench.
Ra’Heim Moss | G | Graduated | Another bench contributor that averaged 10 minutes per game as a senior.

Former Oregon guard TJ Bamba (5) added 10 points per game last season for the Ducks in his final college season. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Takai Simpkins | G | Sr. | Second Team All-CAA at Elon last season, and his game has translated to the Big Ten, adding 12.6 points per game as a full-time starter for the Ducks.
Sean Stewart | F | Jr. | Transfer from Ohio State, where he was a 30-game starter, but has produced similar numbers with 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Wei Lin | G | Soph. | Chinese guard who put up 21 points a game last year for the Chinese Basketball Association, but has only added 5.9 PPG in 15 contests this season.
Devon Pryor | F | Jr. | Transfer from Texas, who’s been productive with three points and rebounds per game, but has played in only 11 of 15 games this season.
Ege Demir | C | Jr. | 6-foot-11 center and Nigeria native who’s now at Oregon after playing in the Turkish Basketball Super League over the past couple of seasons.

Outlook

If anything, Oregon head coach Dana Altman is mighty consistent. Dating back to the 1998-1999 season when the Nebraska native was at Creighton, his teams have reached 20 wins or more in 26 of the past 27 years, which includes a Final Four appearance for the Ducks in 2017.

Oregon more than held their own in their first season in the Big Ten, compiling a 25-10 record before bowing out in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Altman and the Ducks returned the core of that group this season as All-Big Ten Third Team selections Nate Bittle (16.8 PPG) and Jackson Shelstad (15.6 PPG) are back — averaging a combined 32.4 points per game. 6-foot-10 forward Kwame Evans Jr. was a bench piece last season, but he’s grown to average 13.3 points and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds per contest to give the Ducks a trio of key returners.

UO still lost talent over the offseason, including double-digit scorers TJ Bama, who was a starter, and Keeshawn Barthelemy. Plus, they saw a quartet of key reserves all graduate. Reinforcements have come in the form of Elon transfer Takai Simpkins, who has added 12.6 points per game in all 16 contests. Ohio State transfer Sean Stewart brings plenty of experience after starting in all 30 contests last year with the Buckeyes, while Chinese import Wei Lin (5.9 PPG), Texas transfer Devon Pryor (3.4 PPG), and Nigerian center Ege Demir all replace the depth that was depleted.

Elon transfer Takai Simpkins (5) has been an effective starter for Oregon, pouring in over 12 points per game. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Oregon’s 8-8 record could easily be more in the Ducks favor with half of its losses coming by single digits, including a three-point loss to Rutgers on Jan. 5 and a nine-point defeat to No. 7 Gonzaga on Dec. 21. Offense has been an issue for Oregon as they sit in the bottom five of the conference in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. The Ducks will want to make this a rock fight, especially if they can run the offense through seven-foot and All-Big Ten center Nate Brittles. However, with NU returning to Pinnacle Bank Arena, I don’t see Nebraska dropping its first game of the season to the Ducks.

What Indiana’s Success Should Tell Us About Nebraska’s Football Program

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

What Indiana’s Success Should Tell Us About Nebraska’s Football Program

As we watch Indiana football destroy whatever is in its path, several Nebraska-related questions.

* Are there lessons Nebraska can learn from Indiana?

* Where does Nebraska stand in this rapidly changing, new-world Big Ten?

Indiana’s football program continues to be one of the great comeback stories in Big Ten history. That’s in football and probably in any sport.

Where did Indiana come from? In two seasons under coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are 26-2, a remarkable .929 winning percentage. Plus a Big Ten championship.

And one game away from a national championship.

Trying to learn from the Hoosiers

Nebraska and many other college teams should study Indiana’s program in great detail. Teams undoubtedly probe the Hoosiers, watch their tapes, try to glean whatever they can from IU’s amazing success.

When you watch the Hoosiers, they look like a championship team. Their body language exudes confidence, fueled by their accomplishments. In the Hoosiers’ 56-22 CFP semifinal win over Oregon, they looked faster, stronger, more intense.

Indiana was helped by Oregon’s early turnovers but the Hoosiers’ lines looked dominant. Indiana’s defense took apart Oregon, sacking Dante Moore three times and putting relentless pressure on him. It was almost unfair how the normally potent Ducks offense could do so little against the Hoosiers.

Once, that sounded like Ohio State, which might be trying to figure out Indiana this offseason, too.

Let’s face it: Until Cignetti arrived at Indiana, he largely was unknown. He was a career assistant coach until landing head-coaching jobs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2011-16), Elon (2017-18) and James Madison (2019-23).

He had two outstanding seasons as a head coach at James Madison, going 19-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. There was little indication he would jump into the Big Ten and turn into Knute Rockne.

What in the name of Bobby Knight is going on?

What’s next for Huskers?

If there were a sure-fire formula for Indiana’s level of success, everyone would try it. How to start for the Huskers? Recruiting, transfer-portal prosperity and luck, and the most important factors, both lines and the uncertain quarterback position.

Nebraska allowed 33 sacks this season and with Dylan Raiola at quarterback for eight-plus games, his lack of mobility was glaring. Sacks are drive-killers.

Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza was sacked 21 times this season but generally, it was a case of him trying to extend plays, not sitting in the pocket holding the ball too long, which was a valid criticism of Raiola.

Nebraska must improve against the rush — emphasize “must”. The Huskers allowed an average of 175.4 yards per game on the ground, 98th in the nation. What in the name of Tom Osborne was going on?

Teams gashed the Huskers on the ground and while Nebraska’s pass defense finished third in the nation at 154.1 yards per game, the run defense at times was brutal.

Another Nebraska problem, and a major one at that: Its red-zone defense ranked next to last in the nation. Opponents has 38 red-zone trips and scored on 37 of them. Incredible, if not impossible. The breakdown: 24 opponent rushing touchdowns, six passing touchdowns and seven field goals.

Look at 2025. Nebraska’s portal players made important contributions but they weren’t season-changing. The Huskers needed players who could influence a game’s outcome, or grab a game by the throat and win it.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef drops back to pass against USC. Could Lateef be the answer at QB for the Huskers? | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Quarterback is an area of great uncertainty for Nebraska. Is TJ Lateef the answer? Someone from the transfer portal?

Look at Indiana. When the Hoosiers brought in Mendoza, who knew he would win the Heisman? He came from the University of California, where he had two nice seasons but gave no indication he would turn into the sport’s best player.

Mendoza stepped in and the Hoosiers followed, knowing what they had in their new quarterback and what it could mean.

Big Ten bullies and where Huskers fit in

The last two national champions are from the Big Ten — Michigan, Ohio State. Indiana is warming up in the bullpen, a win over Miami away from the title.

Skip past Indiana for a second and you have Ohio State — the biggest of the Big Ten bullies. Yet, the Buckeyes haven’t won the Big Ten championship since 2020. Ohio State hasn’t had a losing season since 2011. The Buckeyes’ record since 2011: 165-21 with national titles in 2014 and 2024.

Eight Big Ten teams won at least nine games in 2025. A ninth team, Minnesota, won eight games. Minnesota, which beat up Nebraska in Minneapolis and dropped the Huskers to 5-2, maybe changed the trajectory of Nebraska’s season.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule looks skyward in second half of Las Vegas Bowl loss to Utah. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nebraska (7-6 for the second consecutive season) is one of three B1G teams that won seven games. That’s 11 other Big Ten teams on the same level or having better a better record than the Huskers. And that doesn’t include two four-win teams — Wisconsin and Michigan State — with a history of success. The Badgers and Spartans won’t be dormant for long.

Ohio State and Indiana are the monsters of the midway. Big Ten teams have to deal with these two teams, and Oregon, if they ever hope to rise to the top of the conference. Michigan, Penn State and USC probably will be better next season — they aren’t going away.

That leaves Nebraska slugging it out with Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Washington for a place at the Big Ten big-boy table. And there’s an enormous step up to the elite teams.

Yep, the Big Ten has changed, as has college football itself.

Rhule’s changes

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule did what coaches of underachieving teams normally do — he made significant changes to his coaching staff. He fired offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and replaced him with Geep Wade from Georgia Tech.

He hired a new defensive coordinator. San Diego State’s Rob Aurich replaced John Butler, who was fired. Butler arrived in Lincoln with a ton of NFL experience. Either Butler’s message didn’t get through, or he didn’t have the talent to play his system at this level.

Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich came to the Huskers from San Diego State. | San Diego State Athletics

Nebraska also hired Roy Manning to work with the edge rushers. Got to go get the other guys’ quarterbacks.

The lines, more than anything else, are the quickest road to success —some think the only road to success — whether it’s the Big Ten or high school ball. When teams lose the line battles, they usually can kiss the game goodbye. Having a quality quarterback is a given for success but without a strong offensive line, a quarterback is limited.

Savvy football people and fans know this. Glamour positions and skill-position players get the attention. Think about this a second: Nebraska had one of the best running backs in the nation in Emmett Johnson, who gained 1,451 yards on the ground. That total was fourth in the nation and Johnson didn’t play in the bowl game.

And still, the Huskers didn’t dominate many Big Ten defenses. Nebraska was 4-5 in the conference and didn’t beat a Big Ten team with a regular-season winning record — Michigan State (4-8), Maryland (4-8), Northwestern (6-6) and UCLA (3-9).

Nebraska’s final three games looked like a program either in decline, or simply outmanned on the field and on the sideline. Penn State scored 37 points, Iowa scored 40 points, and Utah scored 44 points. In those three games, Nebraska was outscored, 121-48.

These were hugely important games for Nebraska. Going against reeling Penn State looked like an opportunity. Nebraska was long overdue for some payback against rival Iowa. You always want to win a bowl game, and the Las Vegas Bowl offered Nebraska a chance for an improved record over 2024, and the opportunity for a less stressful offseason and a jump start for 2026.

In his postgame news conference after losing to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, Rhule looked ahead, as he should. He talked about the coaching changes. He sounded upbeat about the portal. He talked about all of the young guys who played against Utah. To his credit, he didn’t make excuses.

All in all, Rhule talked with some level of optimism about 2026. Did he have any other choice?

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Big Ten Report – Nebraska takes first place from Michigan, is 16-0

Published

2 days ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Big Ten Report – Nebraska takes first place from Michigan, is 16-0

It was a very exciting and high-scoring Saturday in Big Ten basketball. Michigan’s flaws finally caught up to the Wolverines. Their loss to Wisconsin became a source of hope for everyone else in the Big Ten. Nebraska keeps rolling, and the Huskers now look like the top team in the conference, with star Lamar Wilkerson going off in yet another game.

Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from Saturday night in Big Ten basketball:

No. 10 Nebraska 83-77 vs Indiana

Jamarques Lawrence and Lamar Wilkerson battled in a shootout as both players had career nights. Indiana has been hot this season, almost as hot as Nebraska. Ultimately, the Cornhuskers proved to be battle-tested once more, and Lawrence led the Cornhuskers to overcome a 16-point deficit to secure a big victory. The Cornhuskers continue to be one of the best stories in college basketball, as their win streak moves to 5 in a row in the Big Ten. They are 16-0 overall.

Wisconsin 91-88 vs No. 2 Michigan

Down goes Goliath. Just like I said in one of the last Big Ten reports, no game is a layup. Michigan almost lost its last game to Penn State. Every team the Wolverines face will give them their best, and all they have to do is upset them. The Badgers did exactly that. Nick Boyd and John Blackwell both had 20-point showings and looked like stars. The Badgers entered the second half down 14 points, and just like last game for the Wolverines, another lead was lost. Michigan missed 8 of their last 9 shots, to end the game, which was one of the biggest reasons for the loss of the lead. The Wolverines were not on their game, and for the first time this season, and it cost them big time.

No. 5 Purdue 93-85 vs Penn State

Braden Smith puts together a complete game, flashing his scoring ability and his elite decision-making. The Boilermakers took care of business and handled Penn State exactly like Michigan should have. Penn State’s hot three-point shooting start kept them in this game, but it was the Boilermakers’ insane crowd, insane defense, and stars stepping up that propelled them to an 8-point win.

UCLA 67-55 vs Maryland

Another day, another game where the Terps get outmatched. The Bruins were coming off two losses heading into this game, and they got the exact bounce-back game they needed. While the Bruins were amazing defensively, the Terps still dominated the glass. That makes for trouble for the Bruins against the competent Big Ten teams. Had the Terps been able to buy a bucket, they fairly well could have stolen this game. Instead, the Terps move to 0-5 in the Big Ten. The Terps can’t catch a break early in this season, while the Bruins get the exact break they needed to move forward.

Overview

Michigan does not learn from its last game, and they suffer their first loss of the season. The Badgers get a huge scoring outburst from their two guards, as another guard, Braden Smith, is dominant in an impressive win by Purdue over Penn State. As the Big Ten is continuing to ramp up the dominant newcomer, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are now the leader of the sole undefeated team in the conference.

What’s next

Illinois and Iowa highlight the day with a big-time matchup to start the Sunday slate. Big implications in this game, and whoever wins can really consider themselves a legitimate Big Ten contender. Northwestern and Rutgers will match up after that one, and both teams could desperately use a win to get back on track and build some type of momentum. The final game will be Ohio State and Washington squaring off. The Buckeyes will look to build some consistency before their matchup against Michigan. Bruce Thornton getting hot again would definitely help with that.

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