Chair File: Rural Health — Caring for Our Neighbors
I’ve often said that rural health care is about family. We take care of each other and our communities as best as possible. Rural hospitals and health systems are often the largest employers in our cities and towns and care for our neighbors despite the challenges we face.
I recently attended the AHA’s Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, and the passion in the room and family connections formed were electrifying. We were from all over the country, red states and blue states, coastal areas and inland, but every single person there was fully committed to helping the communities they serve be and stay healthy. And that is what unites us.
Leading a rural hospital can feel like you are battling alone, but together with a unified voice we can advocate for what our rural patients need.
As I’ve traveled across the country, meeting with the AHA’s Regional Policy Boards and visiting the rural hospitals in my own health system, the number one concern I heard from our hospitals and our communities is access.
All of our neighbors deserve to have access to the care they need. That’s why we must be united, together as a field, to create the best health care system possible.
Everyone should be able to access high-quality care. We need Congress to renew Medicare flexibilities past April 1 and help make telehealth options more available to patients. And we need continued investment and public-private partnership to bring broadband to more remote communities.
We also have to help our rural hospitals maintain funding so they can continue to be that essential anchor in communities. Congress needs to protect 340B as well as address barriers that may make it difficult for rural hospitals to qualify for 340B eligibility. Additionally, Medicare and Medicaid are foundational for rural health. Although these programs are so important, on average, they do not cover the costs of providing care to patients. Proposals to cut Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement will only make it more difficult for hospitals to provide care now and prepare for the future.
The AHA has done an incredible job voicing the needs of our hospitals and health systems, and we will continue to engage with Congress, the White House, regulators and the courts to advocate for your needs. But we need your support and engagement as well. Share your stories of how you innovate and adapt to provide local, high-quality care to your neighbors, even during challenges.
And this doesn’t just apply to our rural hospitals: We all need to work together and advocate to be recognized for the unique capabilities we provide. It’s so important because our neighbors are counting on us to be there for them well into the future.