2008 Rural Health Policy Institute Recap
At the 2008 Policy Institute, attendees met their members of Congress and important members of the Administration.
Pictured above from left to right is Representative John Peterson (PA) receiving the Legislative Award, Erin Tuggle, flanked by Senator Barrasso (WY), receiving the 2008 Legislative Award, and Senator Tom Harkin (IA) talking with PI attendees.
Four hundred rural health providers, researchers, state employees and other advocates came to Washington DC two weeks ago for the 19th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute. In addition to three days of policy and political discussion and conversations, attendees had the opportunity to go to Capitol Hill and discuss the nation's future with their lawmakers. NRHA members took the message of the importance of rural health and the necessity to work on three things this year to their lawmakers: 1) a Medicare package that is sensitive to the rural delivery system, 2) a spending bill that invests in the future of the rural health, and 3) workforce solutions to the looming workforce crisis.
In addition to the Capitol Hill visits, attendees heard from seven senators, two representatives, Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Herb Kuhn, Associate Administrator for the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Bureau of Health Professions Marcia Brand, Director of the Office of Rural Health at the Veterans Administration Kara Hawthorne and many other leading policy makers.
As you can tell, the Policy Institute is a great opportunity to be involved in health policymaking. It is also a great opportunity to network with other rural health advocates. If you did not make it this year, make sure to mark your calendar for next year's 20th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute - January 26 - 28, 2009. Next year we will need even more rural attendees since we will have a new administration and new Congressional leadership to educate about the importance of rural health.
