This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a new Office of Rural Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The office would be headed by a director and would serve as the main point of contact at CDC for issues affecting rural health. The office would conduct and coordinate research on public health problems in rural areas, develop policies and best practices to improve rural health care including telehealth services, and identify gaps in health care access for rural populations. It would also have authority to award grants and contracts to support rural health improvement efforts and would coordinate with other federal agencies to avoid duplicating work on rural health initiatives. The bill does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines, leaving those details to be determined through the appropriations process.
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