WASHINGTON- Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) was honored this week by the National Rural Health Association as the association’s “Rural Health Champion.”  Stupak was the only U.S. House Representative to receive this award this year.  The award coincided with the Rural Health Association’s annual Policy Institute in Washington, DC.  

“Whether someone lives in Carthage, Texas, Watertown, South Dakota or in Marquette or Alpena Michigan, decisions made in Washington, DC directly affect their access to quality health care,” Stupak noted.  “That is why I have made rural health care a priority since I first came to Washington.”

“In his 14 years serving the 1st District of Michigan, Representative Bart Stupak has been a tireless advocate for his rural constituents, rural health care providers and the patients they serve,” said Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association.   “It is fitting that the representative of the second largest district east of the Mississippi would be such a great friend to rural health.”

Stupak said that technology is transforming rural health care to help ensure rural residents access to quality health services. 

“Technologies like videoconferencing, transmission of still images, and e-health like patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers are all part of a new revolution in tele-medicine,” Stupak said.  “Already, tele-medicine has allowed the U.P. Health Care Network to link health facilities in Baraga, Ishpeming, Ironwood, Newberry, Iron River, Keweenaw,  Munising, Ontonagon, Manistique and Sault Ste. Marie all together.  To give you a sense, this means that health care practitioners in Ironwood can instantaneously benefit from the expertise of their colleagues in Sault Ste. Marie, over 300 miles away.”

 Last Congress, Stupak introduced two amendments in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which would make it easier for rural health care providers to adopt new technologies.  

Stupak has also supported legislation aimed reducing drug prices for rural health care providers.  Stupak has joined with Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Congresswoman Jo Anne Emerson (R-MO) in sponsoring legislation to expand a popular drug discount program, 340 B, to cover Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Referral Centers and Sole Community Hospitals.

“This is an issue of simple parity,” Stupak said.  “If the 340 B (drug discount) program provides discounts for urban hospitals, its benefits should be extended to rural health care providers who already endure higher costs.”

Health providers from Stupak’s district praised his legislative efforts. 

“In his 14 years serving the 1st District, Congressman Stupak has been a tireless advocate for his rural constituents, rural health care providers and the patients they serve,” said Elizabeth Gertz, Executive Director of the North Central Council of the Michigan Hospital Association in Petoskey.  “In 2006, Congressman Stupak took the lead in pushing for grants to assist rural health care providers with the cost of information technology.  The 660,000 citizens in the 31 rural counties of the northern Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan are well served by Congressman Bart Stupak.”

“Congressman Stupak listens to our needs and works hard to enact legislation that will assure access to high quality health care for rural America,” said Wayne Hellerstedt, CEO of Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Newberry.  “In all my dealings with Congressman Stupak I have always found him to be open to ideas and helpful in dealing with regulatory bodies.
Stupak serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over major legislative health issues.  The NRHA is a national nonprofit membership organization with more than 11,000 members that provides leadership on rural health issues. The association’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of rural Americans and to provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, research and leadership. The NRHA membership is made up of a diverse collection of individuals and organizations, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health.