Senator Ron Wyden Visits to Discuss Rural Healthcare
Adventist Health Tillamook welcomed U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden on Thursday, January 22, for a visit and tour of Adventist Health Tillamook and the Tillamook Kidney Center, where he met with patients and healthcare leaders to discuss access to dialysis and the broader challenges facing rural healthcare systems.
During the visit, Senator Wyden heard directly from patients about the impact of having dialysis services unavailable locally for a period of time. Patients shared the physical, emotional, and financial strain of traveling long distances multiple times a week for life-sustaining care — often leaving home in the early morning hours and facing added stress during an already demanding treatment schedule. Leaders from Adventist Health Tillamook and Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI) described the months of coordinated effort required to restore dialysis services in Tillamook County and the importance of stability and continuity of care close to home.
The discussion also focused on the future of rural healthcare and the need for policy approaches that recognize the unique challenges rural communities face. Participants highlighted concerns about the potential impact of HR1, noting that reductions or structural changes to healthcare funding and reimbursement can disproportionately affect rural hospitals and specialty services, where margins are already thin and workforce recruitment is more difficult. Without careful consideration, such changes can increase the risk of service disruptions for rural patients who have limited alternatives for care.
In addition, leaders emphasized opportunities to strengthen rural healthcare through workforce development initiatives, including the Rural Health Transformation Program fund. Investments in training, recruitment, and retention of healthcare professionals were discussed as critical to ensuring long-term access to services such as dialysis, primary care, and specialty care in rural and coastal communities.
“Dialysis is not optional care — it is essential to life,” said Eric Swanson, president of Adventist Health Tillamook. “We are grateful for elected officials like Senator Wyden who take the time to visit our community, listen to patients, and see firsthand how federal and state policies affect access to care in rural areas. That kind of engagement is vital as we work together to protect rural healthcare and build a sustainable workforce for the future.”
Senator Wyden’s visit to Tillamook County was adjacent to a series of town halls held along the Oregon Coast. His long-standing work on healthcare policy, including his role on the Senate Committee on Finance, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid, provided context for conversations about dialysis access, reimbursement, and the realities faced by rural providers and patients.
Adventist Health Tillamook remains committed to working collaboratively with community partners, nonprofit providers, and policymakers to advocate for solutions that protect access to essential services and support the health and well-being of rural communities across Oregon and beyond.
In image, from left to right: Dr. Paul Welch, Adventist Health Tillamook Chief Medical Officer; Eric Swanson, Adventist Health Tillamook President; Sharon Shrive, spouse of Tillamook Kidney Center patient; Mike Shrieve, Tillamook Kidney Center patient; Senator Ron Wyden; Sharon Marti, Dialysis Clinic Incorporated Senior Operations Director; Molly Lust, RN, Tillamook Kidney Center Nurse
