Importance of Rural Health

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of rural health and what it means to the nearly 60 million Americans who call rural America home.

No matter where you live, access to quality healthcare should not be considered a luxury. Recently, a local hospital in my district was recognized as a healthcare leader in rural America. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Northwest campus in Venango County was one of 18 rural hospitals in the Nation to receive an award for excellence and patient safety and quality in 2019.

The accolade is given annually by The Leapfrog Group serving more than 2,100 hospitals to find the Nation's best in healthcare safety and quality.

Hospitals like UPMC Northwest are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to building a network of reliable care in rural America.

In many cases, rural residents can still live very far away from the closest hospital, which makes getting quality care even more difficult.

Telehealth can help reduce barriers to health services for all residents, particularly the elderly, and those with limited mobility. The Northwest campus of UPMC has been a leader in telehealth and telemedicine.

Telehealth options are becoming increasingly available in not only rural communities, but across the country. Ninety percent of healthcare executives say their organizations are developing or already offer telehealth services, and in 2018, approximately 7 million individuals took advantage of a telehealth consultation.

Telehealth services are a great tool for those who may live far away from a hospital, but it also takes much of the hassle out of scheduling an appointment and makes routine care much more efficient.

Mr. Speaker, I have been proud to assist in leading the advancement of telehealth and telemedicine legislatively in this body, including the STEP Act, which greatly expanded access to telemedicine to our Active Duty military, Reserve, and Guard. That was signed by President Obama in the VETS Act, which did the same thing for our American veterans under the VA MISSION Act signed by President Trump.

As we continue to explore ways to increase access, affordability, quality, and basic choice, telehealth or telemedicine must be a part of that conversation.

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