FAIRBURY, Neb. -- Rick Blum has joined Jefferson Community Health and Life and will be caring for patients in JCH&L Fairbury Clinic and in the emergency room. 

Blum received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha, and his Physician Assistant training at Nebraska Med Center. He was a PA in Beatrice for 23 years. 

“Medicine is fun. It’s challenging,” said Blum. 

He currently serves in Valentine and Friend, in addition to JCH&L Fairbury. He said what he likes most about medicine in rural areas is the relationships built with patients, which are “unique to small-town medicine.”

Blum said the JCH&L campus is impressive and he appreciates JCH&L offering so many different options from medical care to assisted living. 

Blum has been seeing emergency room patients since early May and will begin seeing patients at the Fairbury Clinic on June 6. He will accept new and established patients. 

He and his wife, Michele, live near Beatrice and have four grown children, 19-27.