UNR report shows health care shortage in Elko County
ELKO — A report from the University of Nevada, Reno shows Elko County is struggling to meet all the health care needs of its residents.
The Elko Daily Free Press reported Sunday that Dr. John Packham presented the findings to the county’s Health Board.
Packham says Elko County has “about a third of the providers for mental health as compared to the state average.” He says other rural areas have seen these provider shortages but they’re more severe in Elko County due to the county’s population growth.
Packham says the county is unique in that it has a younger population and doesn’t have some of the same health issues as other rural countries.
According to the report, about 25 percent of the county’s population was on Medicaid and Medicare last year.