Gardner succeeds in effort to help recruit and retain rural docs

U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) recently applauded the newly finalized Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule to provide reimbursement for time that residents spend training at Critical Access Hospitals. Critical Access Hospitals serve rural communities and are facing a critical physician shortage.

Gardner, Tester and Hyde-Smith are authors of the Rural Physician Workforce Production Act, which included this policy and other proposals to strengthen the rural physician pipeline. The policy finalized by CMS makes significant improvements to the way rural residency training is reimbursed and will incentivize physicians to train and stay in rural areas.

“In Colorado and across the nation, rural areas are feeling the pain of driving significant distances as a result of the growing physician shortage in these underserved communities,” said Gardner. “The greatest indicator of where doctors will practice is the location of their residency, and today’s final rule announcement is one step towards ensuring doctors are being recruited and retained in rural areas. I applaud CMS’s announcement and will continue to advocate for passage of the Rural Physician Workforce Production Act, commonsense legislation to remove barriers and level the playing field for residency training.”

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