David Thomas: “as Senator Kassebaum knows, many areas of Wyoming, Kansas, and other rural States in the Midwest and West suffer from…”

“as Senator Kassebaum knows, many areas of Wyoming, Kansas, and other rural States in the Midwest and West suffer from severe shortages of primary care providers and services. I appreciate the opportunity to work with you on S. 1044, legislation reauthorizing the community health center program, to ensure that this program is a viable option for rural communities in the Midwest and West. One solution that will help preserve and strengthen access to primary care services in rural areas is a change in the governing board criteria for the health centers. For a number of reasons related to such factors as geography and population density, rural hospitals and other rural providers have had difficulty qualifying for the community health center program because they cannot meet all of the program's strict governing board requirements. It is my understanding that the legislation we are considering today requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive some or all of these requirements if rural providers can show that it is not feasible or practicable for them to meet the requirements. This will certainly make it easier for rural hospitals and other rural providers who would otherwise qualify to participate in the program.”