[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5432]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RURAL HEALTH ACT OF 2016

  (Mr. HARDY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, last fall a hospital in my State closed its 
doors after years of being the only hospital within a 100-mile radius. 
Unlike in more populated communities, when a rural hospital closes, 
residents can be left with the frightening reality that emergency 
medical care and medical care services may be too far away.
  Sadly, this is not the only isolated incident. More than 30 percent 
of America's rural hospitals are vulnerable to the conditions that may 
have caused the closure of 71 facilities in the last 6 years. The 
numbers increase each year, and we have to act now to prevent more 
families from losing their lifelines in times of emergency.
  That is why I am introducing the bipartisan Rural Health Act of 2016. 
It will support existing rural hospitals by strengthening resources for 
State Offices of Rural Health and incentivize construction of new 
facilities for those communities in need.
  Our rural communities need our attention. We cannot let them down.

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