VALENTINE, Neb. — In small towns across America, hospitals aren’t just places for healing — they’re lifelines for both health and the local economy. But that lifeline is under strain. According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed in the past decade, and another 700 — roughly one-third of all rural hospitals in the country — are now at risk of shutting their doors.

In Valentine, however, there’s reason to celebrate. Cherry County Hospital is marking 50 years at its current location — and for many who work there, it’s more than just a job.

“We’re seeing so many people here today that we haven’t seen in 10 or 15 years, and it’s just very much like a family reunion,” said longtime employee Chris Bitner.

The celebration brought together current and former staff members from across the state.

“When you work so closely together on the weekends, on holidays, and you have all of those shared experiences no matter what department of the hospital you’re in, you become a family,” Bitner said.

Bitner was first hired to work at the hospital in 1978, but she’s not the only employee who’s been around for decades.

“I started at 35¢ an hour,” said Shirley Knudsen, who began working for the healthcare system when she was just 13 years old — before the hospital moved to its current site.

“The old, old hospital had an upstairs. That’s where the patients were, so you’d have surgery or your baby downstairs. They’d have to carry you upstairs because there was no elevator then,” Knudsen said.

Because of issues with the old building, Cherry County voters passed a bond in 1973. The new hospital opened in 1975.

“I was hired to build it,” said former administrator Jon Davenport, who returned to Valentine for the 50th anniversary celebration.

“I brought it to the table for the board to look at. I had a fantastic board. You would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for my board of directors,” Davenport said.

Current Cherry County Hospital CEO Jim Bargen said the facility continues to grow and adapt to meet community needs.

“We’re the largest employer in Cherry County, so we’re a huge economic driver. Without the hospital, the community would suffer significantly, so it’s really important from that standpoint. We’re so remote also, and we need care close,” Bargen said.

Bargen said the hospital is expanding specialty services, including adding a GI doctor and orthopedic specialists. There are also preliminary plans to add onto the facility.

“We’re looking to bring MRI in-house, so we don’t have the trailer only two times a week. We’re desperately short on material management storage, which doesn’t sound very cool, but it’s really important. When we’ve had material shortages in the past, they’ve really impacted us, like when the IV situation happened after the hurricanes in North Carolina, we had to cancel surgeries for a month,” Bargen said.

As the hospital looks toward the future, many of those who’ve spent their lives working there say the past five decades have meant far more than bricks and mortar.

“In this building, the people here are my family,” Knudsen said.