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Brenizer LibraryBrenizer Library · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Merna · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Merna residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Merna, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Merna. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
14.7%
About the same as NE (16.1%)
Obesity
39.9%
About the same as NE (37.7%)
No exercise
26.3%
About the same as NE (24.3%)
Uninsured
7.6%
About the same as NE (9.9%)
Feel lonely
29.8%
About the same as NE (29.3%)
Nearest ER
8.5 mi
Jennie M Melham Memorial Medical Center
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Merna adults…

Merna runs above NE on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Merna adults have had cancer
Nebraska: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 8.4–10.4%
Better than NEWorseAbout the sameNebraska
Getting care

Care in and near Merna

No hospital or community health center in Merna itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERJennie M Melham Memorial Medical CenterBroken Bow · 8.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyJennie M Melham Memorial Medical Center★★★★★ · 8.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHeartland Health CenterRavenna · 54.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.5 mi
Jennie M Melham Memorial Medical Center
Broken Bow · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
15.9 mi
Callaway District Hospital
Callaway · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
43 mi
Gothenburg Health
Gothenburg · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
43.1 mi
Valley County Health System
Ord · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
54.3 mi
Heartland Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Ravenna
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
88.3 mi
Midtown Health Center
4 sites · nearest in Oneill
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careMerna is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careMerna is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Merna itself

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Merna; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska

Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.3%NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.2%NE 31.3%
Binge drink 20.3%NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettes 13.5%NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Merna, betterMerna, worseAbout the sameNebraska
Where Merna gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Merna adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.

76%Yearly checkupNE 76%
65%Dentist visitNE 64%
85%Cholesterol checkNE 84%
64%Colon screeningNE 62%
70%MammogramNE 75%
80%Taking BP medsNE 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Merna 7.6% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Merna adults are doing

About the same as Nebraska on each measure.

3 in 10Merna adults feel lonely
29.8% · NE 29.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 5Merna adults lack social or emotional support
19.8% · NE 20.5% · About the same as NE
1 in 6Merna adults have been diagnosed with depression
17.6% · NE 18.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 7Merna adults are in frequent mental distress
14.1% · NE 14.1% · About the same as NE
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Merna adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 10
Merna adults worry about having enough food
10.2% · NE 12.3%
About the same as NE
1 in 12
Merna adults worry about keeping their housing
8.2% · NE 9.5%
About the same as NE
1 in 18
Merna adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · NE 6.4%
About the same as NE
1 in 17
Merna adults lack reliable transportation
5.8% · NE 6.7%
About the same as NE

7.3% of Merna adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Around town

Merna and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

26.6%

of Merna adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.1%
Thinking or memory11.8%
Hearing7.8%
Errands alone6.9%
Vision4.1%
Dressing or bathing3.2%
Nebraska

Questions about health in Merna

Why doesn’t Merna have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Merna.

What hospital is closest to Merna?

Jennie M Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow, 8.5 miles in a straight line from Merna’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Merna.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Nebraska figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.