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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1594 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1594

   Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Rural Health Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 2024

 Ms. Tokuda (for herself, Mrs. Harshbarger, Mr. Balderson, Ms. Balint, 
 Mr. Bergman, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Budzinski, Ms. Caraveo, Mr. Carter of 
   Louisiana, Mr. Cline, Mr. Courtney, Ms. Craig, Mr. Davis of North 
    Carolina, Mr. Ezell, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Graves of 
Missouri, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson of 
 Georgia, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Kilmer, Ms. Kuster, Mr. Larsen of 
   Washington, Ms. Lee of Nevada, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Mann, Ms. 
McClellan, Mr. Meuser, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. 
 Pappas, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Rose, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Scholten, Ms. 
   Sewell, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Sorensen, Ms. Spanberger, Ms. 
  Stansbury, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Thompson of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Trone, Mr. Van Orden, Mr. 
Vasquez, Ms. Wild, and Mr. LaMalfa) submitted the following resolution; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Rural Health Day''.

Whereas over 66,300,000 hard-working individuals in the United States live in 
        rural communities;
Whereas individuals in the United States in rural areas live in pursuit of the 
        common good and keep values of the United States alive by fostering a 
        spirit of generosity and respect among neighbors;
Whereas rural health care providers and patients showcase a selfless and 
        community-minded spirit;
Whereas rural areas in the United States are places of opportunity for--

    (1) mission-minded health professionals to provide individualized care 
to patients and entire communities; and

    (2) fueling innovations in rural health infrastructure, quality, and 
delivery;

Whereas health care providers in rural areas are uniquely positioned to deliver 
        value-based holistic care;
Whereas rural health care providers are known and trusted by their patients;
Whereas residents in rural areas tend to experience lower life expectancy and 
        poorer health status due to structural, behavioral, and geographic 
        factors;
Whereas residents in rural areas face barriers to accessing health care due to 
        higher uninsured and underinsured rates, lack of reliable transportation 
        or transportation options, often increased exposure to public health and 
        occupational hazards, and a limited number of available providers, 
        especially those providing specialized care;
Whereas rural health facilities in the United States face systemic challenges, 
        including clinician workforce shortages and lower volumes of services 
        spread over fixed costs;
Whereas the systemic challenges rural health facilities face makes it 
        increasingly difficult for rural health care facilities to keep their 
        doors open to serve patients;
Whereas the systemic challenges rural health facilities face have contributed to 
        151 rural hospital closures or hospital conversions since 2010;
Whereas, nationally, 50 percent of rural hospitals are operating with negative 
        margins and nearly 420 are vulnerable to closure, further demonstrating 
        the need to accelerate efforts to reinforce the rural health safety net;
Whereas National Rural Health Day was established to honor rural communities in 
        the United States and the contributions and efforts of rural communities 
        in addressing the unique challenges facing rural health care;
Whereas the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health has 
        recognized National Rural Health Day to be the third Thursday of each 
        November since 2011, in collaboration with partners such as the National 
        Rural Health Association; and
Whereas National Rural Health Day will be recognized this year on November 21, 
        2024: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``National Rural Health 
        Day'';
            (2) recognizes and supports the goals and ideals of 
        National Rural Health Day;
            (3) celebrates rural health care providers and the millions 
        of individuals in the United States that rural health care 
        providers serve; and
            (4) expresses a commitment to advancing policies to improve 
        health care accessibility and affordability in rural areas of 
        the United States.
                                 <all>
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