The United States needs a stronger rural healthcare program, said U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., in an address to Penn State students, faculty and community members yesterday at Shields Building.

"The greatest hurdle in improving rural healthcare is fair reimbursement," Peterson said. The problem is not a shortness of physicians, but rather inequitable distribution, Peterson said. Rural providers currently receive fewer funds and have a more difficult time recruiting employees, he said. There needs to be equal Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for all providers so that more competitive healthcare rates are available, he explained.

Many small businesses in Pennsylvania would like to provide health insurance for their employees but cannot afford to, Peterson said.

"Pennsylvania has never had a high priority for public health and that's a shame," Peterson said. State College is part of Peterson's 5th congressional district, the largest rural district east of the Mississippi River. Peterson said he believes State College has the ability to change and improve its healthcare system.

"The best healthcare we can have is closest to home," he said. Peterson used the DuBois healthcare system as an example of how healthcare can be improved. As a result of raising the level of care it provides, the system in DuBois has created more jobs and currently has more healthcare employees than in State College, he explained.

Another way to improve healthcare is for Americans to become educated and begin to practice healthy eating and exercise habits, he said.

"We are becoming a sedentary society," Peterson said. "We're coming up with all these cures. Why don't we get into the prevention business? This country could cut healthcare expenses dramatically by living healthier lives."

The need for healthcare is going to grow drastically in coming years when the senior citizen population increases, he said. If proposals to allow equal funding for all providers are not implemented rural districts will struggle tremendously to staff a sufficient number of employees.

At a time when the need for healthcare employees is on a rise, Peterson said too few college students are choosing healthcare as a career option. Students need to know that a person educated in healthcare can find a job just about anywhere, he added.

Healthcare reform was a main priority of HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson when he was appointed. Peterson said that although Thompson has had to focus most of his attention on health issues in the area of terrorism since Sept. 11, proposals to improve the national healthcare system are currently being worked on by Congress.

Ann Beachly (sophomore-health policy administration) said the turnout of about 200 people showed that Penn State cares about healthcare.

"He covered all the major healthcare topics that are important today in State College and Pennsylvania," said Ann Beachly."