Former Gov. Jeff Colyer has been appointed to serve as chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services.
The appointment was announced Thursday by HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
Colyer, a surgeon by training, will be the fifth chair in the 32-history of the committee and the second chair from Kansas, after former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker, who served during the Bush administration, according to the announcement.
Colyer’s appointment coincides with actions the HHS secretary has taken recently to bring more attention to rural health.
The committee advises the HHS secretary on access to, deliver of and financing for health care and human services in rural areas. The committee produces policy briefs and reports on key rural issues, with recommendations to address the challenges.