Nebraska

Nebraska Prenatal Plus program bill to be heard on legislative floor

Published

10 months ago

February 12, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska Prenatal Plus program bill to be heard on legislative floor

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – In 2022 in Nebraska, March of Dimes reports that 11.3% of babies were born preterm.

That number is higher than the 10.4 national average, and the highest rate Nebraska has seen in recent memory.

When it comes to mothers of color, the preterm birth rate is even higher.

State Senator George Dungan of Lincoln wants to address and prevent those numbers from growing.

“No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, one of the things that everyone seemed to agree on is healthy moms and healthy babies,” Dungan tells 6 News when asked about LB857, his priority bill this legislative session. “What we’re seeking to do is increase the access to and the availability of prenatal services for at-risk mothers who are low income.”

While Dungan says Nebraska’s current program is robust, he adds that it’s time to do more when it comes to tackling adverse birth outcomes, namely low birth weights and preterm births.

“There are certain things we know are integral in helping those moms and raising birth weights that are not currently able to be built on.”

If passed, Nebraska would adopt the ‘Prenatal Plus Program,’ which Dungan says states like Colorado have seen great success with.

While Nebraska would adopt the program, Dungan says it wouldn’t be a direct copy but would have the same idea: not just focusing on the medical side of pregnancy, but the socio-economic side, too.

“It’s also about making sure you have access to mental health care, it’s about making sure you have access to substance use disorder treatment, smoking cessation, a big one is dietitian and nutrition counseling, and that you have somebody that can do case management for you that sees you throughout the entire pendency of your pregnancy to make sure you have consistent services and that you have access to additional service down the road,” he adds.

The main aspects the Prenatal Plus program would add are targeted case management, nutrition counseling, and making services available to moms who have been identified by their doctors or practitioners as having potential birth outcomes.

Dungan says in Colorado, the program not only saw healthier moms and babies, but it also demonstrated Medicaid cost savings.

“For every dollar, for example, that was paid into for this Prenatal Plus program, they actually saved $2.48,” he says. “So you’re seeing massive net savings on Medicaid which I think is what we should frankly be investing in overall, is upstream investments so that way we’re saving ourselves money down the road while also ensuring we have healthy moms and healthy babies.”

Dungan adds that services like these are also necessary, especially in a state where abortion care is limited.

“In a world where we have now limited our abortion to 10 weeks in Nebraska, think it’s imperative that we offer as many additional services as possible, and something I’ve been really encouraged by is conversations I’ve had with a number of colleagues, people that a prop choice, people that are pro-life, people that are somewhere in between, this is an issue they all agree on.”

Dungan’s bill originally sought to offer services to those on Medicaid and to those in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as well as offer post-partum services for mothers.

An amendment to the bill in the Health and Human Services Committee limited the program to Medicaid users and prenatal care.

The bill was heard and supported by several healthcare professionals while in the HHS committee last Wednesday.

It passed the committee and will be heard on the legislative floor.

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Nebraska

Dana Holgorsen, John Butler talk bowl prep and being “light on your feet”

Published

2 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Dana Holgorsen, John Butler talk bowl prep and being “light on your feet”

In today’s college football, coaches must have their head on a swivel.

That’s true during the season of course, but it’s now a way of life once the transfer portal opens in December and rosters start moving and shaking. And things get even more wild if you’re at a program that’s playing in a bowl game, or even the College Football Playoff.

It’s a balancing act that all staffs are going through right now. Nebraska’s included.

“You’ve got to be light on your feet, man,” Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler said during a press conference over Zoom on Thursday. “I mean, you’re maybe in the middle of a game-plan meeting and all of a sudden you got to jump out and you’re having a 30-minute meeting with a prospect that’s in on a visit, or you’re jumping on a Zoom doing it. Or you’re watching 15 minutes of tape to make sure that, hey, this guy just jumped in and he wants to visit us. So I think you got to be a fast thinker and mover and a shaker, quite frankly.”

This whole process has taught Butler, who spent the 2024 season as the defensive backs coach under now-departed DC Tony White, that these traits are as important as ever: Being decisive. Being organized. Following a road map to achieve a goal and not deviating from it when there’s chaos all over.

“You’ve got to have a plan and a vision for what you’re looking for, because everything happens so fast,” Butler said. “You have a guy get in and get out, get in and get signed. And at the same time, you also got to keep an eye on your roster constantly, because there’s people reaching out. There’s people reaching out to your players, whether it’s direct or it’s people reaching out through a third party. And it’s unfortunate in this environment.

“People said, ‘Hey, it’s like NFL free agency.’ No, it’s not. NFL free agency is regulated.”

As Husker fans have come to learn, just because a player says he’s going to enter the transfer portal doesn’t mean he actually will. And sometimes when a player actually enters his name in the portal, there’s always a chance they could withdraw their name and return to their program if each side wants.

Nebraska saw that happen with defensive lineman Keona Davis, who briefly entered the portal before withdrawing and staying at NU for 2025. There was also running back Emmett Johnson — he announced he would enter the portal but never made it there.

Holgorsen played a key role in convincing Johnson to stay at Nebraska.

“We had some long talks after the season, and I got to know him better as a person,” Holgorsen said of his relationship with Johnson. “I did that with a bunch of them, but him in particular was probably about the first one that came in and was excited about what we did, but there was some buts. So we had some long talks. I think he’s a great kid and he’s going to be a special player here. Excited to coach him.”

On Holgorsen’s side of the ball, he’ll have to adjust his game plan now that he’ll be without a handful of players he was able to use during the regular season.

Running back Dante Dowdell transferred to Kentucky on Friday. A tight end Holgorsen really liked, Nate Boerkircher, transferred to Texas A&M. Receiver Isaiah Neyor has chosen to opt out of the Pinstripe Bowl to focus on his NFL aspirations. Offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua, who began the year as the starting right guard but finished the season rotating with Gunnar Gottula at left tackle, won’t play in the bowl because he’s getting surgery to fix a torn labrum he played through during the season.

There will be holes to fill on Holgorsen’s offense in the bowl game and beyond in 2025. But Holgorsen brushes all of this chaos off. He’s a go-with-the-flow guy. He doesn’t pretend to have answers to fix college football. What he does have, though, is a plan.

“There’s been a lot of talk out there about something needs to happen. That’s above my pay grade,” Holgorsen said. “So, the few kids who decided to do that (leave), we wish them well, and you just go replace them. It’s as simple as that.”

Part of that replacement process needs to happen for the bowl game with current members of the roster. Behind Emmett Johnson, expect Rahmir Johnson — he’s native of the Bronx and will have several family members and friends at Yankee Stadium — to play often as it’ll be his final game in a Husker uniform.

But with Dowdell and Gabe Ervin Jr. gone from the team, perhaps this Pinstripe Bowl will feature another big back on Nebraska’s roster who’s seldom been used: redshirt freshman Kwinten Ives, a 6-3, 210-pounder.

“You know, 23 (Dowdell) isn’t playing in the bowl game but 28 (Ives) is gonna go in there and he’s gonna play his tail off because he’s had nine spectacular practices,” Holgorsen said. “I think that’s how you got to look at it. You don’t worry about the ones that aren’t playing. You worry about the ones that are playing, and you coach them and you try to develop them, put them in position to hopefully be successful.”

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Nebraska

Purdue Transfer Quarterback Marcos Davila Commits to Nebraska

Published

10 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Purdue Transfer Quarterback Marcos Davila Commits to Nebraska

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE’s representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

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Nebraska

Rhule talks Dante Dowdell, navigating new landscape of roster management

Published

18 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Rhule talks Dante Dowdell, navigating new landscape of roster management

Many Nebraska football fans were caught off guard and surprised when they saw Dante Dowdell’s name pop up in the transfer portal.

The big and physical downhill runner played in every regular-season game this season with seven starts. Dowdell rushed for 614 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2024.

With Emmett Johnson and Dowdell, the Huskers looked to have a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield in 2025. Johnson as the shifty all-purpose back with plenty of make-you-miss and receiving ability in him. Dowdell, a young back who’s still developing in certain areas, as the 6-foot-2, 225-pound north-south bruiser who was money in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

But the days of being caught off guard and surprised by anything dealing with college football are over. With the way the sport is operating right now, Matt Rhule wasn’t surprised Dowdell is looking elsewhere.

According to Nebraska’s head coach, the process of Dowdell’s departure started well before the transfer portal opened.

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