Bluestem Health
Bluestem Health is a federally qualified community health center based in Lincoln, NE, with 4 clinic locations. It served 21,396 patients in 2025. Fees are on a sliding scale by income and insurance, and every patient is seen regardless of ability to pay.
- 21,396patients in 2025
- 21%uninsured patients
- 55%at or below the poverty line
- 174full-time-equivalent staff
Care offered: primary care, dental care, mental health care, substance use treatment, children’s checkups, women’s health, and telehealth.
Who Bluestem Health serves
55% of patients live at or below the poverty line and 75% are at or below twice that level. 21% have no insurance, 41% have Medicaid or CHIP, 12% have Medicare and 26% have private insurance. 1,684 patients were experiencing homelessness. 417 were veterans.
| Measure | This center | NE median | U.S. median | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients at or below the poverty line | 55% | 55% | 65% | In line |
| Patients at or below 200% of the poverty line | 75% | 87% | 92% | −12 pts |
| Measure | This center | NE median | U.S. median | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured patients | 21% | 26% | 14% | −5 pts |
| Medicaid or CHIP patients | 41% | 40% | 42% | +1 pts |
| Medicare patients | 12% | 7% | 11% | +5 pts |
| Privately insured patients | 26% | 25% | 24% | +1 pts |
Care and screenings
| Service | Patients | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Dental care | 2,448 | patients had dental exams |
| Mental health care | 4,459 | patients treated for depression or anxiety |
| Substance use treatment | 46 | patients in treatment |
| Well-child visits | 3,387 | children had checkups |
| Flu shots | 4,437 | patients vaccinated |
| Cervical cancer screening | 1,190 | patients tested |
| Breast cancer screening | 1,417 | patients screened |
| Family planning | 665 | patients served |
| Diabetes care | 2,998 | patients with diabetes |
| Blood pressure care | 5,538 | patients with hypertension |
| Asthma care | 1,020 | patients with asthma |
| HIV testing | 2,746 | patients tested |
| Hepatitis C testing | 2,504 | patients tested |
| Childhood lead tests | 1,268 | children tested |
Quality of care
Bluestem Health is at or above the Nebraska median on 7 of 7 preventive-care measures. Higher is better on every line.
| Measure | This center | NE median | U.S. median | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with high blood pressure under control | 81% | 65% | 68% | +16 pts |
| Women 52–74 screened for breast cancer | 68% | 50% | 54% | +18 pts |
| Women 24–64 screened for cervical cancer | 69% | 55% | 54% | +13 pts |
| Adults 46–75 screened for colorectal cancer | 68% | 36% | 44% | +33 pts |
| Patients 12+ screened for depression | 97% | 96% | 77% | In line |
| Adults assessed for tobacco use | 99% | 97% | 86% | +2 pts |
| High-risk adults on statin therapy | 91% | 88% | 79% | +3 pts |
Staffing
174 full-time-equivalent staff work at Bluestem Health, including 20 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives. That is 1,094 patients per clinical provider, against the Nebraska median of 1,076 and the U.S. median of 930.
Where Bluestem Health patients live
| ZIP code | Patients | Uninsured |
|---|---|---|
| 68521 | 4,868 | 18% |
| 68503 | 2,382 | 24% |
| 68502 | 2,285 | 22% |
| 68504 | 1,766 | 21% |
| 68510 | 1,342 | 25% |
| 68522 | 1,210 | 23% |
| 68508 | 1,044 | 25% |
| 68516 | 898 | 23% |
Bluestem Health locations
Bluestem Health: Thompson Clinic
Other health centers in Nebraska
- Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
- Heartland Health Center, Inc.
- East-Central District Health Department
- Midtown Health Center, Inc.
- Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska
- One World Community Health Centers
How fees work: the sliding-fee guide.