[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 28, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PROMOTING RURAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS

  (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to join 
me in supporting efforts to adequately address one of the most 
vulnerable aspects of the health care system, rural America.
  This very minute, over 60 million rural Americans live with the risk 
of being without critical health care services. We must make sure that 
we have meaningful health care reform, guaranteeing all Americans 
access.
  In my home State of West Virginia, 50 of the 55 counties are 
designated as ``medically underserved.'' In addition, physicians in our 
State, like many other States, are experiencing a medical liability 
crisis that threatens to deprive us of critical care specialists. This 
situation has the makings of a ``perfect storm.''
  Whether you live in New York City or Moorefield, West Virginia, we 
should all have access to proper health care. From ambulance service to 
community health centers to hospitals to nursing homes, millions of 
Americans are counting on us to make sure that rural health care 
delivery systems will be there for us when we truly need them.

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