Derek Kilmer: “I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 49 years ago in Port Angeles, Washington, I was born in what was then…”

“I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 49 years ago in Port Angeles, Washington, I was born in what was then called Olympic Memorial Hospital. Over the years, members of my family and I received good, quality care from what is now known as Olympic Medical Center and its well-trained physicians and nurses, and from a staff that genuinely cares about the community. The future of healthcare in rural communities faces extraordinary challenges that threaten the ability of folks to access the care that they need and that they deserve. Unfortunately, the reality for many Americans in rural areas when it comes to healthcare is a story of gaps and barriers. This isn't just a problem for the Olympic Peninsula. Rural populations often bear the brunt of healthcare disparities. They are usually older, have less income, and often have complex health issues. These factors burden rural hospitals, many of which are already buckling under pressure. In fact, today the rural hospital closure crisis threatens more than 400 rural hospitals nationwide with imminent closure. For folks on the Olympic Peninsula, quality care should be readily accessible, not a service only available in the shadow of the Space Needle. No matter who you are or where you are from, you ought to be able to find quality, affordable medical care close to home. This rural-urban healthcare divide is a crisis that demands attention from Congress.…”