[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE VALUE OF RURAL HEALTH CARE

 Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I will take a few minutes to pay 
tribute to a group of people whose tireless, dedicated service to those 
in need too often goes unnoticed--North Dakota's and our Nation's 
health care providers. As I travel around North Dakota, I frequently 
stop in to visit hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. I am 
continually impressed by the quality, compassionate care that I see 
being provided by doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and 
other medical staff, as well as by the administrative and support 
staff.
  Rural America depends on its small town hospitals, its tertiary 
hospitals, on physicians and nurses, nursing homes, those who provide 
emergency ambulance services, and many others to provide a seamless 
system of care. There are a range of challenges facing rural health 
systems, from difficulty recruiting and retaining staff and inadequate 
reimbursement to rising costs and reams of paperwork to fill out. 
Despite these challenges, our health care providers do an admirable job 
remaining focused on providing quality care.
  Our hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics are also important engines 
driving North Dakota's economy. Health services account for 8 percent 
of North Dakota's gross State product. And health care providers are 
often among the largest employers in a rural community, representing 
about 15 percent of direct and secondary employment.
  In short, a strong health care system is an important part of our 
rural infrastructure, and the people who make up that system have my 
deep respect and thanks. Over the years, we have determined that rural 
electric service, rural telephone service, an interstate highway system 
through rural areas, and rural mail delivery, to name a few services, 
make us a better, more unified nation. The same is true of rural health 
care, and I will continue fighting for policies that reflect rural 
health care as a strong national priority.

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