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Rep. Susie Lee Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Health Care Access in Rural and Underserved Areas

April 4, 2022

WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide additional support for primary care providers in rural and underserved areas through accredited continuing medical education and clinical support.


"Nevada, like much of the country, is facing a dire doctor shortage," said Rep. Susie Lee. "This means that many families go without the care they need due to the lack of specialists in their area. In fact, more than 83 million Americans live in areas that have been designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas, and, what's worse, all 17 counties in Nevada have some type of Health Professional Shortage Area designation because of our low ratio of providers to population. That's why I'm proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to provide additional support for primary care providers in rural and underserved areas through accredited continuing medical education and peer-to-peer clinical support."

"All Americans should have access to the medical care they need, no matter where they live," said Rep. Joyce, Co-Chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus. "Unfortunately, those who live in rural communities often struggle to access affordable, quality health care. That's why I'm proud to join Representative Susie Lee in introducing the Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas Act. Where you live should not be a barrier to receiving quality medical care. Our bipartisan bill will support health centers, clinics and other providers in rural areas across the country, and ensure the Americans they serve have access to the high quality medical professionals they deserve."

"Far too often, I hear from Arizonans who must travel hundreds of miles to receive even basic medical care—let alone see a specialist," said Rep. O'Halleran. "I'm proud to support commonsense legislation that will address health care disparities in rural areas and ensure the hardworking providers in these facilities have the resources and training they need to keep serving our communities."

"Far too often, Americans living in rural and underserved communities across the country are unable to access quality specialized care, and the nationwide physician shortage has only compounded this public health emergency," said Rep. Fitzpatrick. "Our bipartisan legislation will ensure that primary care providers in rural and hard to reach areas are equipped with the training and resources required to provide comprehensive care by enhancing continuing medical education in areas reflective of their communities' health needs."

"The Nevada Primary Care Association and our member community health centers have experienced first-hand the difficulty of attracting and retaining physicians and the impact of limited access to health care in the rural parts of our state. This bill is an important step towards expanding opportunities for our health centers to train physicians in the communities where they live and practice. We are grateful to Representative Lee for her leadership and support in promoting rural health," said Nancy Bowen, CEO of the Nevada Primary Care Association.

"On behalf of Community Health Centers and the 29 million patients they serve, I thank Representatives Susie Lee and David Joyce for their leadership by introducing the Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas Act," said Rachel Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). "COVID-19 has only worsened the severe provider shortage that health centers face daily. This bill will increase clinician capacity, training, and retention for health centers to better serve their patients in primary care and specialty care, including behavioral health settings. Passage of this bill is needed to expand access to high quality and comprehensive care for our rural, remote, and hard to reach health center patients."

"Rural and medically underserved areas of Nevada struggle to attract and keep primary care physicians and other clinicians. This important bill will support efforts by community health centers and rural health clinics to ensure access to primary care in their communities by improving the ability of clinicians to practice at their full scope of practice and to manage the complex health needs of increasingly diverse patient populations," said Dr. John Packham, Associate Dean, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.

"The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Representatives Lee (D-NV) and Joyce (R-OH) for introducing the Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas Act. This important legislation will provide Federally Qualified Health Centers and rural health clinics serving rural communities with additional support to ensure they have the tools needed to support the health care needs of their communities. As the nation rebounds from COVID-19, innovative pilot programs like this are necessary to bolster our public health infrastructure to ensure providers can meet the needs of their communities," said Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association.

"Primary care clinicians in rural and underserved areas deserve access to accredited continuing education that reflects the needs of their patients. Continuing education helps physicians and healthcare teams learn and stay current with best practices to deliver the care their patients deserve and expect. The bill introduced by Representatives Susie Lee (D-NV) and Dave Joyce (R-OH) would make an important contribution to linking clinicians with practice-based, relevant, and effective accredited continuing education that is meaningful in improving care for patients and communities across the country," said Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, President and CEO, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

"Improving access to primary care in rural and underserved communities is a core goal of osteopathic medical education. In fact, more than half of osteopathic physicians practice in primary care and many also stay to practice in their rural and underserved hometowns. Funding continuing medical education for primary care physicians working in FQHCs and Rural Health Clinics is vital to advancing rural health. AACOM would like to thank Representatives Lee and Joyce for introducing this bipartisan legislation to support the primary care physicians who are doing the essential, challenging and wide-ranging work of caring for patients in rural and underserved communities. We are proud to endorse this effort to help meet our nation's critical rural health needs," said Robert A. Cain, DO, President and CEO, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Over 83 million Americans live in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), and all 17 counties in Nevada have some type of HPSA designation due to very low provider to population ratios. The bill provides additional support for primary care providers in rural and underserved areas through accredited continuing medical education (CME) and peer-to-peer clinical support. This bill would create a five-year pilot program that provides a funding opportunity for up to 100 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics to boost capacity in specific areas of medical need within their communities, enhancing skills in these areas and expanding access to care.

The legislation is supported by the following organizations:

• ACCME- Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
• Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
• California Telehealth Network
• CME Coalition
• Families USA
• National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH)
• National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
• National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD)
• National Association of Rural Health Clinics
• National Rural Health Association
• Nevada Health Centers
• Nevada Primary Care Association
• Nevada State Office of Rural Health
• Nevada Public Health Association
• OCHIN (formerly Oregon Community Health Information Network)


You can read more about the Bipartisan Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas Act here.


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Issues:Health Care