Mar. 23, 2026
BRADFORD – In the midst of ongoing conversations with the Shapiro administration about the brewing health care crisis in the region, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) penned a letter to the governor urging him to ensure vital federal health care funds are directed to the communities that need it most, including those in the 67th Legislative District and across the Northern Tier.
Pennsylvania is set to receive $193 million in federal Rural Health Transformation Funding, an initiative that aims to make rural America healthy through sustainable access to care, workforce development and retention, and care innovation.
“It is absolutely vital that this money be directed to communities like ours, where access to health care is increasingly limited,” Causer said. “With the planned closure of Bradford Regional Medical Center and our communities being in the heart of an eight-county maternity care desert, the need for investment here is about more than just quality of life. It’s about life and death.”
In his letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro, Causer emphasized the potential impact of using federal funds in the region, including maintaining emergency departments, restoring labor-and-delivery services, providing financial stability and preserving local economies.
“Gov. Shapiro, your administration’s support of targeted investment of the Rural Health Transformation Plan funding in areas with limited access to services is a pivotal opportunity to show what rural health equity looks like,” Causer wrote. “By working with rural legislators and community leaders to prioritize these funds for areas with the most significant health care deficits, you can assist in safeguarding the lives and futures of rural Pennsylvanians.”
Additional regulatory guidance about use of the federal health care funding is expected in April.
To view the letter in its entirety, click here.
Representative Martin T. Causer
67th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia A. Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
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