With response to mounting challenges in access to rural healthcare, the administration, Congress, and other stakeholders have proposed a variety of competing solutions. Yet there is no “center of gravity” to organize an effective policy initiative. For this reason, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) has launched a Rural Health Task Force of leaders with the substantive expertise and political influence to develop and promote a rigorous and politically viable rural health agenda for change. ā
The Task Force Co-chairs are:
Senator Tom Daschle | South Dakota
Senator Olympia Snowe | Maine
Governor Ronnie Musgrove | Mississippi
Governor Tommy Thompson | Wisconsin
With the support of BPC Health Project staff, theāÆtask forceāÆwillāÆdevelop focused and pragmatic goals, build consensusāÆaroundāÆa base of evidence, andāÆdevelopāÆpolicy recommendations to:
- Shore up the current rural health care system, including transforming critical access hospitals, small rural clinics, and rural hospitals to meet community needs;
- Address barriers and opportunities for rural participation in new delivery models; and
- Build on successful rural workforce and graduate medical education proposals.
The Task Force believes sustainable solutions must be informed by current thinking across a spectrum of stakeholders. Therefore,Ā BPC is encouraging public comments for solutions in these three areas as well as other ideas that support reforming America’s rural healthcare system. Public comments can be sent to theĀ ruralhealth@bipartisanpolicy.orgĀ email and need to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 7th. Submissions should not exceed two pages, or 1000 words.
