Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I recognize Vivian, SD, which is celebrating its centennial this year.

Located in Lyman County, Vivian was founded during an extension of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad rail lines in 1906 and was named after the wife of one of their officials. Vivian is a welcoming community that reflects the values and principles that we as Americans hold dear.

I offer my congratulations to Vivian on their anniversary, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Mt. Vernon, SD. The town of Mt. Vernon will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Davison County, Mt. Vernon was originally named Arlandton and served as a shelter for pioneers on their way to Fort Thompson trail. The name was changed to Mt. Vernon with the arrival of the railroad in 1881.

I offer my congratulations to Mt. Vernon on their anniversary, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize the 100th anniversary of the town of Mobridge and its citizens' dedication to the Main Street Revitalization Project.

Beginning as a parcel of private land, Mobridge was founded when GEN S. E. Olson, bridged the gap between the two banks of the Missouri River to provide the opportunity for a railway crossing. Although Mobridge began as a railroad town, it thrives today as community that continues to make industrial and economic progress while offering several scenic opportunities to enjoy hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

It gives me great pleasure to rise with the town of Mobridge in celebration of their centennial festivities and hope that this ``Grand Crossing'' into the next 100 years will be as fruitful as the first.

Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the 125th anniversary celebration of Miller, SD.

Located in Hand County, the town of Miller was originally founded in 1881 by pioneer Henry Miller. Since its founding 125 years ago, the community of Miller has continued to serve as a strong example of South Dakota values and traditions.

I offer my congratulations to Miller on this milestone accomplishment and wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Iona, SD. The town of Iona will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Lyman County, Iona celebrates its centennial on the year the town cemetery was founded, 1906. Although Iona has never officially been incorporated, it is an example of the values and traditions found in communities throughout South Dakota.

I offer my congratulations to Iona on their centennial, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Howard, SD. The town of

Howard will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Miner County, Howard was founded in 1881. Howard was South Dakota's first community to operate its own wind turbines, providing ``green energy'' to residential and commercial customers.

I offer my congratulations to Howard on their anniversary, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Cresbard, SD. The town of Cresbard will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in north central South Dakota, Cresbard, like many rural towns in South Dakota, has its roots in agriculture. Now, 100 years later, the town still relies on agriculture but has also expanded into a hunting destination in the fall. Cresbard continues to be a great example of what makes South Dakota such a great place to live and do business.

I offer my congratulations to Cresbard on their centennial, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Chelsea, SD. The town of Chelsea will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Faulk County, Chelsea was founded as an agricultural town in 1906. Although 100 years has passed since its founding, the city remains a great example of what makes rural South Dakota a welcoming place to live and raise a family.

I offer my congratulations to Chelsea on their anniversary, and I wish them the best in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Brentford, SD. The town of Brentford will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Spink County, Brentford was the last town established in the county and has outlasted many of its neighbors. The town of Brentford has the unique distinction of being the only so-named town in the United States. I am confident that the Brentford community will continue to serve as an example of South Dakota values and traditions for the next 100 years.

I offer my congratulations to Brentford on their anniversary, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Baltic, SD. The town of Baltic will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Minnehaha County, Baltic was founded in 1881 on the banks of the Big Sioux River. Baltic has been a successful and thriving community for the past 125 years, and I am confident that it will continue to serve as an example of South Dakota values and traditions for the next 125 years.

I offer my congratulations to Baltic on their anniversary, and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize the city of Stratford which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Located in Brown County, Stratford was founded in 1906 as an agricultural community. Stratford is a welcoming community that reflects the values and principles that we as Americans hold dear.

It gives me great pleasure to rise with the citizens of Stratford to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their fine city.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize South Dakota State University, which is celebrating its 125th year anniversary.

Over the past 125 years, SDSU has proven to its students, faculty, and alumni that ``you can go anywhere from here.'' South Dakota State University, or SDSU, was founded in 1881 as the primary agriculture university in my home State of South Dakota, and 125 years later it now holds the distinction of being the State's largest university. SDSU not only provides students with an excellent academic environment, but beginning in 2004, the SDSU Jackrabbits started participating in NCAA Division I athletics.

It gives me great pleasure to rise with the students, faculty, and alumni of South Dakota State University in celebrating their 125th year anniversary and wish them continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Draper, SD. The town of Draper will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding this year.

Located in Jones County, Draper was founded as an agricultural town in 1906. Although 100 years have passed since its founding, the city remains a great example of what makes rural South Dakota a welcoming place to live and raise a family.

I would like to offer my congratulations to Draper on their centennial and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.

Mr. President, I rise today to emphasize the importance of enacting into law S. 3500, the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2006. I would also like to thank the chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, Senator Thomas, along with Senators Roberts, Conrad, and Harkin, for taking the lead on this important piece of legislation.

There should be no difference between the quality of care that my constituents in South Dakota receive and constituents in urban States such as New York receive. Cancer, diabetes, and other diseases do not discriminate between people in rural or urban areas and there should be no discrimination between the health care services available in Lemmon, SD, and health care services available in New York City.

The Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act extends and builds upon the important rural equity provisions included in the Medicare Modernization Act. These provisions can mean the difference between traveling 5 miles to the Wagner Community Memorial Hospital or 110 miles to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. These provisions--in more graphic terms--can mean the difference between a fatal heart attack and the successful stabilization of a heart attack patient.

In order to give a better picture of the benefits of this legislation, I would like to tell you a little bit about the challenges of ensuring health care access in South Dakota. My State has 66 counties and an average of 9.9 persons per square mile. The national average for individuals per square mile is 79.6.

Of these 66 counties, 44 are classified as medically underserved areas, areas that have insufficient health resources, manpower, or facilities to meet the medical needs of the population. The sheer vastness of South Dakota poses significant challenges in meeting the health care needs of our population. The Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act includes hospital, physician, home health, ambulance, and telehealth provisions that can make the distances of South Dakota more manageable and give my constituents access to the quality health care they deserve.

This legislation contains many provisions that will allow critical access and sole community hospitals, as well as rural doctors, to continue providing services to individuals who need it most, I would also like to highlight the telehealth provisions included in this bill that would continue serving rural beneficiaries and expand access to the type of care provided in more urban areas.

Telehealth uses telecommunications and information technologies to provide health care services at a distance. It provides individuals in remote underserved areas access to specialists and other health care providers through the use of technology. Additionally, the practice of telehealth brings medicine to people--people who live in medically underserved areas and people who are too frail or too ill to leave the comfort of their homes.

Section 19 of the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to create demonstration projects that would encourage home health agencies to utilize remote monitoring technology. Utilizing technology in the home health setting would reduce the number of visits by home health aides while still providing quality care.

Each demonstration project is required to include a performance target for the home health agency. This target would be used to determine whether the projects are enhancing health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries, as well as saving the program money. Each year, the home health agency participating in the pilot would receive an incentive payment based on a percentage of the Medicare savings realized as a result of the pilot project.

The demonstration projects would be conducted in both rural and urban settings because medically underserved areas exist across the country. Three projects, however, are required to be conducted in a State with a population of less than 1 million.

Although numerous studies have praised the ability of telehealth to deliver care to individuals in remote areas, it has been continually underutilized and hampered by legal, financial, and regulatory barriers. Section 20 of the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to work with health care stakeholders to adopt provisions allowing for multistate practitioner licensure across State lines for the purposes of providing telehealth services. This provision is a step in the right direction of breaking down the barriers that prevent the adoption of telehealth.

Technology is improving each and every day and health care systems in rural America should be taking advantage of technology to provide quality health care in remote underserved areas. The telehealth provisions included in the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act help promote the adoption of technology and have the potential to expand access to quality health care.

Individuals living in rural areas like my State of South Dakota deserve the same caliber of health care that individuals living in urban areas receive. The Medicare Modernization Act was a great start to placing rural health care providers on the same level playing field with providers located in urban areas. The Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act continues and expands this level playing field, ensuring that rural Americans have access to high-quality health care services.

I thank Senator Thomas for his leadership on this and other rural health issues and encourage my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. President, today I recognize the city of Tea, which is celebrating its centennial this year.

The community of Tea began as a small German agricultural village originally named Byron. However, when a railroad was built between Sioux Falls and Yankton, a stop was added in the community and the residents decided to establish a local post office. The Postal Service advised the residents that the name ``Byron'' was already taken by several other locations and suggested that they come up with a new town name. At a town meeting, the residents had listed several possibilities when they decided to take a tea break. The name ``Tea'' was offered and eventually selected as the town's name. Now, 100 years later, the community of Tea continues to be a place where residents make everyone feel welcome.

It gives me great pleasure to rise with the citizens of Tea in celebrating their centennial anniversary and wish them continued success in the years to come.