In an effort to recognize and raise awareness of the importance of meeting the unique health care needs of Kansas’ rural communities, Governor Laura Kelly signed a proclamation marking November 18, 2021, as National Rural Health Day in Kansas.
“Our rural communities make up the backbone of our state – and today and every day, my administration is working diligently to ensure rural Kansans can get the care they so richly deserve,” Governor Kelly said. “Most notably, we continue to fight for Medicaid expansion, which would expand access to health care to more than 160,000 Kansans, support our rural hospitals, and inject billions of federal dollars into our local economies.”
The proclamation details the challenges rural communities face in accessing health care, including a lack of health care providers, an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens.
Additionally, the proclamation reiterates the critical needs of ambulatory and emergency medical services in rural America, where only 20 percent of the nation’s population lives but where the majority of trauma deaths occur.
“I want to thank the Kansas Office of Primary Care and Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health for leading the charge to address the unique health care needs of rural Kansans,” Governor Kelly said. “My administration will continue to be a strong partner in their efforts to provide more comprehensive care to all people in Kansas.”