September 13, 2024- On September 11, on Capitol Hill, Vizient, Inc. hosted a policy briefing titled, “Rural Healthcare Realities: Hospitals’ Efforts to Bridge the Access Gap,” at the Rayburn House Office Building. The event featured remarks from Reps. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH). Attended by an overflowing audience of more than 100 congressional staff and industry stakeholders, the briefing focused on the significant challenges rural healthcare providers and patients face and highlighted the vital role hospitals play in ensuring access to care.
The panel of experts highlighted several ongoing challenges facing rural healthcare providers, such as workforce recruitment and retention difficulties, reduced access to essential services such as maternal care, and significant administrative and financial burdens. The panelists proposed various solutions to improve patient access and care delivery in rural areas. Key recommendations included protecting the 340B program, extending telehealth waivers, increasing graduate medical education spots to support the healthcare workforce, and opposing site-neutral payment cuts and reductions to the CMS physician fee schedule, among other strategies.