“To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an Office of Rural Health, headed by a director appointed by the CDC director. The office's duties include (1) serving as CDC's primary rural health contact; (2) assisting with rural public health research, coordination, and dissemination; (3) developing and promoting policies, best practices, and programs (including telehealth) to improve rural care; (4) supporting rural health research, outreach, and evidence-based interventions to address health outcomes, access, and lifestyle challenges; (5) enhancing understanding of rural health challenges; (6) identifying rural disparities in health care and public health interventions; (7) awarding grants and contracts for technical assistance to improve rural health; and (8) coordinating with the Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.