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
Tennessee corn and soy farmer Josh Ogle joins us to discuss rapid planting progress in the state, improving moisture conditions, and early crop development challenges in the MidSouth region.
Beef is leading the decline as slaughter drops and supplies tighten.
Chad Fiechter joins us to discuss Purdue’s precision ag study, challenges in capturing value from technology, and what farmers should consider when investing in and adopting these tools.
The trip is giving them a firsthand look at farming beyond the U.S.
Ethanol demand held together last week, but lower production and thinner stocks put more focus on export strength. Production capacity is also strengthening over time and benefiting soybean farmers.
Expanded export financing could provide greater support for ag sales abroad if buyers and lenders use the additional tools.