June 18, 2013
June 18, 2013 – The Senate passed a bill co-sponsored by Senator Bill Hansell (R-Athena) Tuesday that will help increase access and provide more comprehensive health care in rural parts of Oregon. Senate Bill 2, which provides an Oregon Health and Sciences University scholarship to students that commit to practicing in rural areas, passed the Senate 29 to 1. “Rural Oregon has a shortage of healthcare providers, and it makes it harder for those of us who live there to get to the doctor and find the care we need,” said Hansell. “This bill is a powerful way to help alleviate the high cost of tuition and ensure that there is a stream of new medical professionals serving in our part of the state.” Senate Bill 2 establishes the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative. Students who graduate with the scholarship will be required to serve in a rural or underserved area. The program helps cover a participants tuition and fees. The program will focus on recruiting students from rural Oregon to enter into the scholarship. The scholarship will be funded with almost $5 million over the next two years. Only 10% of physicians in Oregon practice in rural areas, where 37% of the population lives. “Demand for health care providers is only going to increase in the coming years,” said Hansell. “We need to plan and prepare for that demand, and do everything possible to recruit, train and secure a workforce to meet rural Oregon’s health care needs.” Hansell has been a campus minister, a rancher, and a county commissioner. He is a graduate of Athena Public Schools, the University of Oregon, and the Harvard University JFK School of Government.
