Former South Carolina Governor to Head Rural Health Committee

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson today named former South Carolina Governor David M. Beasley chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health.  Governor Beasley will assume chairmanship of the committee at its upcoming meeting March 3-5 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The committee, which was created in 1987, advises Secretary Thompson on health issues affecting rural communities. Beasley, who served as the Republican Governor of South Carolina from 1995 to 1999, succeeds former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum, who chaired the committee from 1999 through 2001. 

“I’m delighted to have Governor Beasley as chair of the National Advisory Committee,” Secretary Thompson said. “As former governors of states with large rural populations, Governor Beasley and I know how important it is for people outside urban centers to have access to quality health care.” 

Secretary Thompson has made improving rural health and social services a top HHS priority. Last July, he created a rural task force to assess how HHS programs serve rural communities. The task force is completing work on that assignment and will soon deliver its findings to the Secretary.

During his tenure as governor, Beasley oversaw dramatic coverage expansion for health insurance to low-income children through both Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance program. He also doubled the number of primary care providers working in underserved rural areas of South Carolina.

“Rural health is a critically important issue, not only in South Carolina, but across the country.” Beasley said.

At its March meeting the committee will discuss issues related to health care workforce and health care quality and finalize a report on the rural health care safety net.  

The committee includes 16 nationally recognized rural health experts in the fields of medicine, nursing, administration, finance, law, research, business, and public health.

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