Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Ron Kind highlighted the great work of Wisconsin’s rural health centers and professionals in honor of National Rural Health Day.
“Across Wisconsin, communities rely on our outstanding rural health care centers and professionals for access to quality, affordable care close to home. On National Rural Health Day, we celebrate and thank all those who work to keep our rural communities safe and healthy, and recommit to working together to ensure our rural health facilities stay open to the Wisconsinites who need them most,” said Rep. Ron Kind.
“National Rural Health Day is a time to celebrate our incredible, hardworking rural health caregivers and their dedication to our rural communities. In my 50 years in health care, we have never been more challenged. Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative is honored to advocate on behalf of rural health, and we also thank Rep. Kind for his ongoing support to improve local, rural health care,” said Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Executive Director Tim Size.
Over 62 million rural communities in the United States rely on rural health care providers for access to emergency and routine care, including the 26% of Wisconsinites who live in rural communities. However, over 135 rural hospitals across the country have closed since 2010 and nearly 450 additional facilities are vulnerable to closure, underscoring the need to support our rural health care centers and practitioners.
Rep. Kind is the co-chair of the bipartisan House Rural Health Care Coalition and serves on the Subcommittee on Health for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful – and the oldest – committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.