Tribune Date Wednesday, June 17,2009 Locatlon SPRING VALLEY, MN Clrculatlon (DMA) 1 ,900 (1 53) Type (Frequency) Newspaper (W) Page 10 Keyword Center For Rural Affalrs

Rural healthcare: A different animal

I Farming 't

& Your 1: iL:?r5,! '1 ~~~~d~~

W ~ t h a \torln h r c \ v ~ n s o \ e r W a s h i n ~ t o n . I) C . ;I., Ptcsidsnt Ob.1m.1 hrgtnt h i \ L ~ L I C I I ICI rrlnrnl health c~lrc in thc Llnrtecl St'lter. lhosc ol uc 111 rur:ll ;lrcn\ are \\'or- ried uur need., will hc tr';~nlpleJ by ths hnrJc\ ot \pcci;ll iritc~cst\ :tnd thc desire4 trS U I ~ : I I I politicians, insur:lncc cc~nlp:lnic\. and bus~ntlss in gentrrnl. \\lien the debate begin\.

For rural i\rncrrcans the danger is that. hec;u~\e of rmr ~rnirluc \\a! of life. 9 0 Jilfcrsnt in m:ln \ignif- icant froin hat 01 ciirr t~rbnrl courins. ni;rj[?r decision., made aholit 11~:ilth c:rrc rcf(~r 171 \ \ i l l sim- ply 1r:lie us IIyil~g ullclcr the radar. as u e h;it r liir ku nran! un everything clw. This tinle. it '4 too impnrt;~rit lor u\ to starid by ~ n d Ict 1h;lr liapl~rrl.

The Te11tc.r tor H~rrul Affairs i n Lyons. Neh . h;r\ pcncr:itcd \\hat 11

call\ "The l 'op I0 Kurtrl I\surs lirr Health C,lrc I<clt)r-m.~' I Irr c'\ hop- ing politic.i:111\ get g,lnclcr of i t .

Center for Rural ,lt't.:lirs of ticials huie listed \cli:~r seem\ st1 ob\ ious to us. hut \ c ~ ' ~ i ~ s \ O I O S ~ 011

"expert\" bach cast (or vut \test): \\'e are t111 cclinonl) 13~wd on \ell- rlnplo!mr~~t and sinall husinrs4. One r i 7 ~ t i t \ all. \\ell. ~Io~\ l l ' t I11

uq. Wc rccclLc Iiealth cure deli\- ery in \e\er:~l diifer~'111 nay \ :IIICI :ire :~lmn\t lor:111) rc11;lnl on \ 1\11.

irip yliv\iciL~rl\ .~ncl otrr own pel- \rin;~l ~ I - ; I I ~ ~ ~ I I I tirtirm f E t r n thc VA. :I n;ttion:~I prr)grarn\ and c:tbi- net-level r lcpar t~nunt . fails 10 untlrr\t,~nrl hozt t l ~ I I ~ c u l ~ ~t n l r~ht he f ~ ~ r p,lticnt\ t r i tr,i\tl 25 or Inore lllilcs for I~c;~It l i c a r t $el-\ ices. That ha\ hccn nij cupcriencc. a n - \\ ;1> .)

Also IIOIPLI IT! the C'crittr 1%

Lrct ahout rlrr;tl pC~ticnt\. O u r 1tt)p- nlarion is oldc.r. por~rer. ;lnd ]la\ Icck cmploccr-hn\ccl htti~lth Insur- ance ctI\eragc. ;~nd it la1~r.r \eg- ment is dcl?cn~lcnt ~ I ~ ~ I I I p ~ ~ h l ~ c hr_.:ilth carc Iirogr;1111\. \ ~ r c h :I\ S I U ~ C Children's Health Inwriince Progr,l~li, r 'i('l1ll'r. ' \ ~ L ~ L ~ I L . , I I i. clr.

Mc.iIic;titl '1-tic 11~11l1ller 01' I 111 ;11 residcnrs rnon elilerly) roveled hy public plarik h a \ ilrcrca4t.d h ) ncarlj 172 lic~c-cnt \lncc 111X7.

A c c o r d ~ n ~ to C'entrr's st,~t~stic.r. the health cirrc dcli\t.~> iri~r.a\rruc- lure in much ol rur:ll I \ I I I ~ I I C : I is a ueh (if \11i,1ll ho\pit;~I\. ~ I ~ I I I C \ .111d nursinp ho~nc.\ th:rt :ire t>pic,~lly eapc.rienclny \ ~ g n ~ l ~ c a n t linanclal \[re\\. S~;ITI? 1111.11 l~iisl>iti~l\ 11.11e ljna~ici:~l rii'~rgi~i\ [ t i t ) lo\\ to \up- purl in\e\trl~c.nt in hotter inlr:l- s tructure : I I I ~ inore 2nd h c t ~ e r medical cqlllpnlent ;~ntl pcr\onncl.

Add to that \Ire\\. 111s prohlem nf health cnrc pro\ idcr and \\ ork- force shortapcs in rural cotnmuni- tie\ and ~ O L I I I ; I \ ~ ;I pcrkct sturrn bre\xin: Thc. CCtiter h ; ~ \ idsntif~tlct 1111. fact t h , ~ t c d y 82 percent vf rural c o u n t ~ c \ .trc cl.i\\~fictf :t\ h ledic , t l l Ltntlcrser\ t t l Areas. And. medical prrrfc.,.,~tlnals \\ ho

do \ r l \ r thcsc c t , ~ n ~ i i u r i r t ~ e ~ are aginp right long \i.ith tlie pop111a- tion. Tho rllcdi;~ri :lye tor ph)si- ci;11is i \ 48. 101 11~1rse\ it is i5!

Reyarding aging p:~tlcrlis. rural areas are experiencing. said the Center. significant denlogrnphic \hifts. In 7007. about 15 percent crf rural residents were 65 >car\ or older. 25 percent greater than in the nation as a whole.

Rural American< are sicker ~ n d rrlorc ut-risk as n pop~llat~oe lhnt is the rest of the nation, and wc have poor access to preventive care and health and wellnew re\otlrcrc. 3s itcll as a lack of con~prehen\ive m ~ n t i ~ l hcirlth rervicrk. T h ~ i \ r of us c lo \er to a nietro area h a \ c n~uch better choices in all of thew categoric\, but the cost m d i~vi~il- ahi l~ty 01 tr:1ri\pnl.t3lrnl1 h~cor i l r ~i_gnrficnnt tnctclrk for ni;lny ot 1l'l

In sonic arcah. tlicrc i \ poor financial \~~ppol . t for o~i lcr~er lcy niedic;il \ c r \ ~ c s \ . o l t r ~ l thc t ~ r z t l ine ol' Ilcalth care i l l rur:rl Amcricu. irnd wc arc l ia\ ing a tough time keeping up with the ~ncrea\ing u\e nl ncn technology for rnedrcal treatrner~~. The cost 1s sinlplj too great.

The truth of it i c that \$L' r~tral A1nrric;tnr a r r going to h . ~ \ c to raiw our \oicz\ quite 3 hit during thc ~ ~ p c o n i i n g debate of hc;~lth care issue\ Too many intcrc\t\ and contparlie\. not tu mctltiun politicians of t.\ erq $tripe, ha \c too much riding un lhc. wutcumc. We ncril to he a r e our \ ( ~ I C P i \ heard. strong and in uniuin. (To learn niorc. go lo \\\v\\ c t r ;~ rlrp)

I'll \ee ya '

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Q 2009 SPRING VALLEYTRIBUNE All Rghb Reserved

Account 18209C (22992) MN 327

For reprlnb or rfghts please contact the publ~sher

Date Thursday, June 18 2009

TriICounty Record Locatlon RUSHFORD, MN Clrculat~on (DMA) 1,700 (1 53) Type (Frequency) Newspaper (W) Page 2 Keyword Center For Rural Affalrs

. . r. = '4, , . 1; 'L:y; 7

Farming and your Freedom *: L_ By PETE GRAHAM h .At!! 2

Rural healthcare: A different animal; With a storm brewing over

Washington, D C. as President Obama begins his quest to reforn~ hcalth care in the United States, those of u s in rural areas are wor- ried our needs will be trampled hy the hordes of special interests :~ntl the desires of urban politicians. insurance companies. and busi- ness in general, when the rlebate h ~ g i n s .

For rural Americans the dan- ger is that. because of our unique way of life. so different in many significant ways from that of our urban cousins. major decls~ons made about hcalth carc rcform will simply leave u s flying under the radar. a s we h a r e for so many years un everything else. This time. it's too important for u s to stand by and let tha t happen.

The Center for Rural Afhirs in Lyons, Neb. has generated what it calls "The Top 10 Rural Issues for Health Care Reform." Here's hupi~lg politicians get a gantler of it.

Center for Rural Affairs nf- fiuials have l~s t ed what seems so nhviaus to us, but seenis so lost on "pxperts" back east (or out west): We are an economy based on eclf- employment and small business. One size fits all, well, doesn't f i t 11s. We receive health care tle- livery in several different wilys i ~ n d are almost totally reliant on visiting physicians and our own personal transportation. (Even the VLl, a niational program and cabinet-lever departntent. falls to understand how difficult it might be for patients to travel 25 or

more miles fur health care hcrvic- on. Thnt h:ir hoen ~ n y oupcricnc.~. :~n;vway.)

Also noted by the Ocntcr is this fact about rural patients: Our po11ulation i s olclcr, ponrpr. and has less emplover-based health insurance coverage. and :I larger segment is dependent upon pub- lic I~calth carc prugr:trns, SLIUII :IS

State Children's Hca1thTnsur;lncc I'rograms (SCHIP), Rlcdicarc o r JIcdicaid. The number of rural residents (non-elderly) cuverecl by public plans has incrc:~scd by nearly 122 percent since 1 CJS'i.

,!ccorrling to ('tlntr~r's <t:~- tisticn. the hc:~lth c:~rr* dcilivcry ~nfrastructure in much of rural -\merica i s a web of small hoepi- t:lls. clinics ancl nursing home.; that a re typically experiencing significiult financial htress. R2i111!.

rural hospitals have Financial nulrgins too low to atlyport invcst- ment in better i i ~ f r i i s t r ~ ~ ~ t ~ r e ancl more and better metlici~l et~uill- ment and personnel.

.lrlcl to that strew..: the prnh- lem of health care provider and workfnrce shortages in rural com- munities and vou hilve ;I I ~ I - f c e t storm brewing. The Center has iclcntifird the fact that ncnrly S:! p ~ l - c ~ n t of rural coc~nties RI-P C I R S - s~fitlcl :as hlrdically Unclel*servvtl .\reas. ,And, medical ~)rofessioniils who do $el-\-e thesc coninlunitii~s ;ire ilging right i~ long with the population. The median age for physicians is 48, for nurses it is ,is!

Regarding aging p a t t c ~ ~ n r . ~ ' u - ,.. n 1 are ah . a le . . esperi~ncing. hait1

the Center, significant demo- graphic shifts. In 2007, nhout 15 % I~crcent of I - U ~ A I residents were 65- years or olrler, 25 percent greater 5 than in the nation a s a whole.

Rclral Anlerir.:tn.; are sicker : :lnd nlore at-risk a s a population ,

that is the rest of the nation, and . , tve have poor access to preventive care ;ind health and wullness re-

'

sourcc3. ns wcll as a lack of com- prehensive mental health servic- es. Those of us closer to a metrc a tea have much better choices in all of these ctitegories, but t h ~ cost and a\-nilab~l~tv of t r a n s ~ o r - tation become significant factor%- for many of us 7

In some arcns, there is poor , financial support for emergen- i r.y medic:11 s~rvices . often the 1 firqt line of health care in rural Llmericn, and we are Ilaving a 1 tough tinle keeping up with the '

increasing use of new technology 1 for n~edical treat~nent. The cost is 1

simply too grrdt. t

I

The truth of i t is that we ru- ral Arnoncnnc, are going to have,:' to raise our voices quite a blt dur- Ing the u ~ ~ c n m l n g debate of health care iss~tes. Tou many interest9 and conxpanies. not to mention politicians of evcry stripe, have I

tor) much r~tl ing on the outcome. '

We need tu be sure uur voice is heard. strong and in unison. TC learn more. go to www.cfri1.org

I'll bee j a!

- Graham is on independent ugric ~tlt~rr-ul jotrl-nulis~. Ibrc curl zc.rifc fo hi)?? in cure of Tri-County Rccord.

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Q 2009 TRI COUNTY RECORD All Rlghb Reserved

Account 18209C (231 54) MN 302

For reprlnb or rights, please contact the publhsher