🏥 Rural Care at Risk

When a hospital closes in rural Iowa, the next nearest one can be 30 miles away, or even further. In an emergency, that’s not just inconvenient — it can be the difference between life and death.

That’s why I fought to secure $50 billion for rural health care through our Working Families Tax Cuts initiative to keep local hospitals open, retain skilled doctors and nurses in small towns, and ensure Iowans can get the care they need close to home.

This week, I visited Greater Regional Health in Creston, where I heard directly from doctors, nurses, and local leaders about how this funding is helping them keep their doors open — and what’s at stake if that support disappears.

What’s at stake:

✅  41% of Iowa’s rural hospitals were operating at a loss even before this funding 

✅  Many are the only source of emergency care for miles

✅  Without this support, lifesaving services and care could disappear altogether

✅  Rural hospitals generate over $200 million in economic activity and support thousands of Iowa jobs

Bottom Line: Iowa’s rural hospitals are doing everything right — caring for their neighbors, creating jobs, and keeping small towns strong. But they can’t fight a shutdown alone. We secured this funding to protect them, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure it stays in place.