Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday on how he would confront challenges — such as workforce shortages — in rural communities and frontier areas.
Kennedy responded that among the lawmakers he has spoken with, rural hospitals was one of the most unifying topics, and that President Donald Trump has asked him to address the crisis with AI and telemedicine.
“Our nation made a commitment over 100 years ago to put a hospital within 30 miles of every American. We generally succeeded in doing that. It’s absolutely critical. It’s life saving and rural hospitals are closing at an extraordinary rate right now. They not only provide important health care for the localities, but also their economic drivers for localities all over this country,” Kennedy said in his confirmation hearing for health and human services secretary.