Rural health goes far beyond the hospital’s walls, according to Secretary Kennedy

“We have to... preserve these rural hospitals, and they were closing at an epidemic rate.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy is doubling down on rural hospitals and the role they play in rural communities.

Speaking alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbot, he says that rural health goes far beyond the hospital walls.

According to the Secretary, “These institutions are not just medical providers, they’re, in most cases, they’re the single largest employer in those areas. They have the highest paying jobs, and when they lose them, they, as we talked about before and it’s not just the hospital that closes. It’s the pharmacy that closes. It’s the stores that close, and the community collapses. So we have to, and President Trump understands, preserve these rural hospitals, and they were closing at an epidemic rate.”

Some of these issues are being addressed.

The recently passed Big Beautiful Bill includes the Rural Transformation Program. It will spend $50 billion over the course of five years, helping offset other provisions in that legislation.

Related Stories
Keir Albert of Albert Acres Cattle Company joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to share his journey into raising Texas Longhorn cattle and the reason behind his trip to Kenya.
Lewie Pugh, with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report with his insights on the incident and a deeper dive into the issues at hand.
As the Trump Administration seeks out new global trade partnerships, Congress is considering more support for farmers, which comes as the Federal Reserve warns that farmers need a safety net.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins will travel to Europe and Asia to seek new trade partnerships for U.S. crops after China reduced imports due to tariffs.
The $221 million will help farmers and ranchers cover losses from Hurricane Helene that USDA programs didn’t cover. They’ll focus on infrastructure, markets, timber, and future economic losses.