Access to affordable and quality health care in rural Kansas is so critical. Today I had the privilege of receiving the National Rural Health Association (NRHA)’s Legislative Award.

The NRHA is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and well-being of rural Americans and providing leadership on rural health issues. As the Co-Chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus and a member of the Senate Finance and HELP Committees, I continue to find ways to advance rural health issues in Congress.

Last year I worked with Members across the aisle on a comprehensive rural Medicare bill and will again work on similar legislation in this new Congress. Yesterday I had a victory in the Finance Committee for critical access hospitals that serve our rural Kansas communities. I offered an amendment in Committee that was accepted which would remove a cap on the new Medicare Health Information Technology incentive payments for critical access hospitals, restoring provider parity and protecting our rural health care system that is so important in Kansas.

I was honored to be presented this award by Jodi Schmidt of Hays Medical Center. It’s people like Jodi, who is my partner in government and works with dozens of critical access hospitals in the Hays regional area, who really make a difference in rural Kansas health care. Thank you for what you do and thank you for this award.