Since moving to Washington DC, the term “inside/outside the Beltway” is stated often. The term mostly arises in the form of a question, and based on the tone it is usually rhetorical. What is going on inside/outside the beltway, usually translates to, “What are they thinking? “ As an up until recently Washington State resident, mixed with the recent outpouring of media coverage on three scandals rocking the administration, I too sometimes find myself asking, what IS going on “inside the Beltway”?
Despite all of the controversy swirling, there was recently a hearing held that highlighted how our University’s federal priorities to build out a health sciences campus at Washington State University Spokane aligns perfectly with the thinking of those “inside the Beltway”. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce, held a hearing on rural healthcare titled Improving Federal Health Care in Rural America: Developing the Workforce and Building Partnerships.
While much of the conversation focused around the Office of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) and meeting the demands of veterans, there were multiple responses to questions that align with issues that Washington State University has been discussing around meeting healthcare demands.
In his opening statement, Senator Tester highlighted the massive shortfall of doctors, mental health specialists and nurses in rural communities, including the often long distances that veterans and citizens have to travel to see healthcare professionals. While the hearing covered rural areas throughout the country, many of the examples and emphasis were around Tester’s home state of Montana and Alaska.
The Senator’s comments were corroborated by the Honorable Robert A. Petzel, Under Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He spoke to the challenges around providing services and recruiting challenges that the VA faces in specific areas. He highlighted Spokane as an area where they are having a hard time with recruitment. However, he shared in other areas the VA is doing well with recruitment, especially in the area of mental health. The VA has approximately 18,600 specialists ranging from psychiatrists to family therapists around the country. In addition, they are emphasizing the use and success of telemedicine for patients.
The Honorable Yvette Roubideaux, Director of Indian Health Service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, testified that the shortages that they are facing have to do heavily with the process of people having to leave the rural communities for training and once they leave it is often hard to recruit them back to the area. However, she did highlight that the loan repayment assistance has been positive in recruiting healthcare experts to the area. Senator Tester pointed out that he had a group of eighth graders from the Crow Reservation in Montana and one of the students asked about the shortage of physicians in the area. Senator Tester remarked that if an 8th grader is asking that question, then you know there is an issue.
During the second panel, Matt Kuntz, Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for Montana, and an individual recognized by President at this inauguration festivities as one of eighteen Ordinary Americans Who Have Made an Extraordinary Difference. He provided a wide overview of the needs of veterans. He highlighted the success of his organizations partnership with Montana State University and the work their work and testified that Montana needs a psychiatric residency program.
Working with our regional and national partners, WSU Spokane is responding to the demands for rural healthcare positions while also providing opportunities to be at the forefront innovative research. In line with what was discussed at the hearing, Chancellor Lisa Brown and her team are working at building relationships with Veteran’s Affairs and, most recently, to create a Native American Health Science Advisory Board.
WSU is also working closely with our delegation. On Friday, Justin Prosser, from Congressman Doc Hastings’ Office, visited WSU Spokane to learn more about the medical education program. He had the opportunity to meet with Chancellor Brown to discuss in-depth the steps WSU Spokane is taking to meet the demand for rural health care providers. Justin also visited with Dean Patricia Butterfield, an expert in her field, to learn more about the approach of the College of Nursing around groundbreaking research and providing education across Washington State.
Despite what our cable news providers may be reporting, more often than not, “inside the Beltway” and “outside the Beltway” align. Our university is working at the community and national levels to provide innovative research while responding to the needs of our region.