Tennessee U.S. Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), John Rose (R-TN-06), and Mark Green (R-TN-07) joined 21 other congressional lawmakers to reconvene the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus.
Harshbarger, who graduated from Mercer University College of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is a licensed pharmacist, will chair the Caucus along with Representative Jill Tokuda (D-HI-2).
Today, we held a roundtable discussion to kick-off the re-launched Rural Health Caucus! Thank you to all of my colleagues who attended to discuss the health care challenges faced by rural areas, and how our House Republican Majority will work to bring solutions to the table! pic.twitter.com/v01O2zcjx2
— Rep. Diana Harshbarger (@RepHarshbarger) September 20, 2023
The Caucus will “promote and advance legislation and policy actions that help increase access to quality, affordable health care, and mental health services for all rural Americans.”
In addition, the Caucus will also “host briefings and events designed to educate and inform Members of Congress and the public about the most pressing health care needs in rural areas and potential policy solutions.”
“Tennessee is plagued by rural hospital closures and limited access to emergency medicine. This problem, combined with the second-most hospital closures of any other state, equals an impending disaster for my constituents,” Tennessee congressman Green said in a statement.
Green, an ER physician, further noted his experience in founding an emergency department staffing company and two medical clinics that provide free healthcare to under-served populations have allowed him to “understand the complex needs of our rural communities.”
The Tennessee congressman also said that the caucus will give members the chance to hear directly from patients, healthcare professionals, and health advocates on the difficulties and achievements associated with providing healthcare in rural areas.
“This bipartisan caucus will serve as a crucial tool in the fight for solutions in Washington. Barriers to patient care, especially emergency room care, can mean life or death. Rural communities are suffering—we must take action,” Green added.
The newly-relaunched Caucus, according to Green’s office, will prioritize the following issues in regards to potential policy solutions:
- Stemming hospital closures
- Ensuring fair and adequate reimbursement rates
- Strengthening the health workforce
- Reducing health inequities
- Expanding telehealth and other innovative care delivery models
Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) and Harshbarger will chair the effort.
Members of the caucus include Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV-01), Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01), John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Donald Davis (D-NC-01), Susan Wild (D-PA-07), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-CNMI), G.T. Thompson (R-PA-15), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Sam Graves (R-MO-06), Nikki Budzinksi(D-IL-13), Ann Kuster (D-NH-02), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), Becca Balint (D-VT-17), Susie Lee (D-NV-03), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-08), Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), James C. Moylan (R-GU), Hal Rogers (R-KY-05), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Frank Lucas (R-OK-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18), Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), Joe Wilson (R-SC-02), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), Mike Turner (R-OH-10), Brian Higgins (D-NY-26), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05), Andy Barr (R-KY-06), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR-02).
The lawmakers say that the Caucus will advocate for health care policies and highlight challenges that Americans are experiencing in rural communities across the United States.
As of 2020, according to data by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 46 million U.S. residents were recorded living in rural areas, representing approximately 14 percent of the U.S. population.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter. Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, and reports for The Star News Network, The Arizona Sun Times, and The Tennessee Star. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Rural Hospital Emergency Room” by Carol Von Canon CC-NC2.0.
