Political Quotes

“I rise to recognize National Rural Health Day. I would like to take a moment to recognize our rural health care providers and all they do for this country. Approximately 62 million Americans live in rural areas and they depend on an ever-shrinking number of health care providers. Rural providers play a very important role in improving the health of their communities and supporting local economies. I thank our rural providers--individuals, hospitals, and clinics--for all they do. Rural providers support a population that makes invaluable contributions to this country through food production, manufacturing, and other vital industries. Yet more people in rural areas are living below the poverty line than their urban counterparts. Rural hospitals are struggling to continue providing care due to declining payments, many exacerbated by the Affordable Care Act. The past few years have been marked by increasing rural hospital closures, with 27 hospitals shutting their doors in the past 2 years. The trend is concerning and deserves attention as many more facilities and communities are at risk. Once a hospital is gone, the devastating impact on the community cannot be undone. The economic impact is unmistakable. The typical, critical access hospital creates over 140 jobs in primary employment and $6.8 million in local wages while serving a population of over 14,000.…”