US Representative Diana Harshbarger Visits Tennova Jefferson Memorial Hospital

8/17/2023

A message to the community from Ben Ridder, chief executive officer at Tennova Jefferson Memorial Hospital

Tennova Jefferson Memorial Hospital was honored to host Rep. Diana Harshbarger recently and show her many of the services we offer our patients. From orthopedics and cardiac care to emergency and women’s care – we are there 24/7 for our community.

Rep. Harshbarger sits on the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as its health subcommittee. Her committee has jurisdiction over some of the most important issues facing Eastern Tennessee, including your access to health care. Her expertise in health care policy comes from her years as a pharmacist, small business owner, and job creator in the Volunteer State. That’s why we discussed how rural hospitals are grappling with rising costs from staffing shortages, record inflation and burdensome regulatory requirements. It was clear in our conversations that Rep. Harshbarger is a champion for patients and knows how critical it is to fund rural hospitals like Jefferson Memorial.

We also had the opportunity to discuss the current debate in Congress over Medicare cuts in the form of so-called “site neutral payments.” We thank Rep. Harshbarger for hearing our concerns about the negative impact of the one-size-fits-all policy that says hospitals and doctors’ offices should be paid the same amount for services we provide. Particularly in rural communities like ours, hospitals play a critical role in providing 24/7 access to essential health care services. Our seniors deserve continued access to the care they need in the setting that is right for them.

Thank you, Rep. Harshbarger, for taking the time to see our hospital in action to better understand how we serve this community. We look forward to your continued leadership in Washington on behalf of Tennessee’s hospitals, caregivers and patients.

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