Stories Told and RHC Program Elevated: 2024 NARHC Policy Summit Recap

Plus, an invite to a live debrief webinar of the summit!

NARHC Washington DC

Last week, nearly 40 Rural Health Clinic representatives flew to Washington, D.C. to elevate the voice of the RHC program on Capitol Hill at the 2024 NARHC Policy Summit.

NARHC is so grateful for these advocates, ranging from first-time to seasoned RHC champions, who shared their valuable time to encourage Members of Congress to sustain and enhance rural, outpatient care.

On Day 1, attendees gathered for the conference portion of the summit. This began with a presentation by Tom Morris, Associate Administrator of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, followed by a bipartisan panel of Hill staffers from both the House and the Senate.

The most important theme from the panel was the importance of developing relationships with Members of Congress and Hill staff. Panelists encouraged attendees to share stories (and data!) during their Hill meetings, and to humanize how policies truly impact them.

Day 1 also consisted of an RHC Advocacy 101 presentation by NARHC’s DC staff. Each attendee had packets prepped for each of their scheduled Hill meetings which included an overview of the RHC program and one pagers on the RHC Burden Reduction Act, Telehealth, and Medicare Advantage. We walked through each of these and the recommended ways of sharing these priorities with Members/staff. Attendees asked questions and shared anecdotes that they would be discussing during their meetings to emphasize different aspects of the bills/policies. The day concluded with a reception and networking dinner.

The next day, attendees took their advocacy skills and passion to Capitol Hill where they met with over 50 offices.

Overall, the 2024 Policy Summit was a great success! While not all 5,500 RHCs across the country can travel to D.C., all can, and should, participate in advocacy to sustain and strengthen the RHC program.

We encourage you to join us for an upcoming webinar on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 3 PM ET where the NARHC D.C. team will lead a debrief from the 2024 Policy Summit. You will hear directly from Summit attendees, both long-time and first-time advocates, who will share their experiences championing the RHC program on Capitol Hill! Please register here.

If the discussion empowers you to make your voice heard, we’ll also share resources for virtual meetings, inviting Members of Congress to your RHCs, and many more advocacy opportunities.

Please contact Sarah.Hohman@narhc.org with any questions!