[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16207]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CELEBRATING NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as a former rural health 
care professional for three decades, I rise today to recognize National 
Rural Health Day.
  National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to ``Celebrate the Power 
of Rural'' by honoring the selfless, community-minded, can-do spirit 
that prevails in rural America.
  Rural families and communities face unique health care challenges, 
including accessibility issues, a lack of health care providers, and 
the needs of an aging population suffering from a great number of 
chronic conditions.
  Today we take the opportunity to showcase the efforts of rural health 
care providers, State Offices of Rural Health, and other rural 
stakeholders to meet those challenges.
  I am proud to represent Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, 
which includes rural communities in 24 percent of Pennsylvania's 
landmass. Rural communities are a great place to live and work, which 
is why nearly 62 million people call them home.
  Our rural hospitals are the economic foundation of rural communities, 
providing good-paying jobs and access to affordable and accessible 
health care. Thank you to those that dedicate themselves to serving the 
health care needs of their neighbors in rural America.

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