<Date>
The Hon. John/Jane Doe
U.S. House of Representatives/Senate
<Address>
<City/State/Zip Code>
Dear Rep./Sen. Doe:
On November 19, 2015, [ORGANIZATION NAME] will join the National Organization of State
Offices of Rural Health, Michigan Center for Rural Health, all 50 State Offices of Rural Health, and rural
health advocates throughout Michigan and the nation in celebrating National Rural Health Day. This third
annual celebration provides a unique opportunity to “Celebrate the Power of Rural” by showcasing the
good works of Michigan’s 9,883,360 and America’s 59.5 million rural citizens.
As someone who represents rural citizens of Michigan in Congress, you are already well aware of
the “Power of Rural” in our Michigan. Our rural communities are wonderful places to live, work, and
visit; they are places where neighbors know each other, listen to each other, respect each other and work
together to benefit the greater good. These communities are some of the best places to start a business and
test your “entrepreneurial spirit.”
Rural communities also offer healthcare providers tremendous opportunities to deliver
innovative, resourceful models of quality care. The main emphasis of rural health care has always been on
providing affordable, holistic, primary care – a model for the rest of the country to follow as America
transitions to a population-, wellness/prevention-based system of health care. Rural hospitals and
healthcare practices also typically serve as the economic pillars of their communities; in addition to
typically being their largest employers, these providers strengthen the economic health of their
communities by ensuring a healthy workforce. They also serve as locations where physician assistants,
nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, dental hygienists, licensed social workers and other
practitioners have the unique opportunity to establish their own practices and provide quality healthcare
services.
But rural communities also face unique healthcare needs; today more than ever, they must
address a lack of healthcare providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number
of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens. While the Affordable Care
Act may make health care more affordable for rural Americans, it won’t necessarily make it more
accessible – a lack of public transportation, fragile infrastructures, and geographic barriers also must be
overcome in order to ensure that all rural safety net providers can adequately meet the basic healthcare
needs of their residents. This can’t be done through a “one size fits all” approach – programs and policies
must be flexible enough to enable states and communities to identify and address the unique needs of
their rural residents.
Because rural providers care for a larger percentage of patients per capita than their urban and
suburban counterparts, it should come as no surprise that funding cuts being considered to federal rural
health programs would do more damage proportionally than similar cuts to urban/suburban programs.
Therefore, we believe it is imperative for Congress and the President, at the very least, to continue
funding existing rural health programs – and we strongly urge your support for programs that bring
physical and economic security to rural citizens of Michigan.
Events being held in Michigan and nationwide on November 19 will provide a unique
opportunity to showcase rural America while bringing to light some of these unique healthcare
challenges. It is our sincere hope that you, too, will be able to join the National Rural Health Day
celebration on November 19. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to know more about
our celebration plans and/or if we can provide you additional rural health-specific information.
Sincerely,