Sen. Smith Introduces Legislation to Improve Healthcare Access in Rural Areas

December 12, 2024

On December 9, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to improve access to healthcare and address the physician shortage in rural areas. 

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 would authorize the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program to continue providing start-up funding to rural hospitals, medical schools, and other organizations to establish new rural residency programs.  

Among current medical residency programs, only 2% of residency training occurs in rural areas, and in Minnesota, 80% of counties qualify as mental health professional shortage areas. The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 will help address the health care provider shortages by supporting the training of more clinicians in rural areas.    

“When I meet with families, farmers, businesses and Tribal and community leaders in rural Minnesota, one of the first issues that comes up is health care,” Smith said. “There is a severe lack of access to healthcare in rural communities in Minnesota and across the country, and this bill is the first step to addressing that problem. Establishing more residency programs at rural hospitals and medical schools will incentivize doctors and nurses to work in these areas, help address physician shortages, and ensure Minnesotans living in small towns and rural places have access to the care they deserve.”