Smith Welcomes CMS Administrator Dr. Oz to Blair

October 10, 2026 Press Release Yesterday, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) joined Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz for a tour of Memorial Community Hospital and Health System, a critical access hospital in Blair. During the tour, Smith and Oz met with hospital staff to discuss the challenges facing rural healthcare providers and opportunities to strengthen access to care through telemedicine, support rural healthcare workforce development, and advance initiatives like the Rural Health Transformation Program. "Critical access hospitals like Memorial Community Hospital play a vital role in the communities they serve, by ensuring patients have access to quality care close to home. I am grateful to have strong partners like Administrator Oz who take the time to visit rural communities, listen to healthcare providers, and understand the challenges they face. I look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen rural healthcare and ensure every Nebraskan has access to quality care, regardless of their ZIP code,” said Congressman Smith. " Rural health systems have been underfunded and under resourced for decades, but thanks to President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program, we’re empowering states to tackle that problem head-on by making the investments these communities need,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “I’m grateful to Congressman Smith for meeting with me and to Memorial Community Hospital for hosting us, so that together, we can discuss the improvements RHTP dollars are already driving and how additional funding can build on that progress over the remaining four years of the program.” "We are glad to be part of efforts to strengthen healthcare access in rural communities. We appreciate Congressman Smith and Dr. Oz taking the time to visit MCH and hear directly from the providers and caregivers serving patients every day. These conversations help ensure that rural voices are heard and that policy decisions reflect the realities facing rural healthcare, allowing us to continue providing high-quality care close to home,” said Memorial Community Hospital and Health System President and CEO Manuela Banner. Photos from the visit can be downloaded here . Issues : Health Care Rural Development