BOND AND EMERSON BREAK GROUND ON NEW HEALTH FACILITY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI

MOUNTAIN GROVE, MO. - In a combined effort to address disparities between urban and rural care, U.S. Senator Kit Bond and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson today joined local officials, the board of directors and staff of the SE-MA-NO Electric Cooperation and Texas County Memorial Hospital (TCMH) to present a mock check and break ground on a new health clinic and ambulance base. "Access to quality health care is a critical issue for much of rural America and South Central Missouri is no different," said Senator Kit Bond. "That's why this is so important. This new facility will make it easier for Wright Country residents to access quality care, close to home."

"Access to health care is of the utmost importance in rural Missouri, and TCMH has one of the most dedicated health care facilities in the region. I am very glad this new project will expand a good system which is working well. Texas County Memorial Hospital is a great model for the professional medical community, and I am proud to join them as they break ground on a new project in Wright County," Emerson said.

Today, Bond and Emerson highlighted the need to address the health-care for rural Missourians as they presented a mock check for $740,000 to finance the construction of the new TCMH health clinic and ambulance base in Mountain Grove. Bond, Emerson, and the SE-MA-NO Electric Cooperative leadership pressed for the funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Economic Development Loan program, which provides zero-interest loans to rural electric cooperatives for community development projects.

Bond and Emerson emphasized that the new TCMH facility will help expand access to quality health care for an additional 17,955 people and provide 10 to 15 full-time jobs in South Central Missouri. The project will help bring Wright County citizens closer to emergency services and routine medical services such as vaccinations, lab tests, and treatments for the flu and other illnesses. In addition to these benefits, the clinic will include new treatment rooms, additional workspace, and new medical equipment, which will use the latest in telecommunication technology to provide interconnectivity between other clinics and hospitals through electronic medical records.

For years, Bond, a member of the Rural Health Care Caucus, and Emerson, a leading advocate for affordable prescription drugs, have pushed to address the health-care needs of rural Missourians. Currently, there are about 46 million people without health insurance, 56 million without access to a doctor, and too many people relying on emergency rooms as their only health care. Bond and Emerson stressed that as Washington debates health care reform, America must invest in organizations like TCMH that will provide important services and jobs for rural communities. TCMH is a small, not-for-profit hospital licensed for 66 beds and employing over 300 local Missourians.

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