North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is the latest Republican with White House aspirations to make a pass through the Carroll Broadcasting listening area with a stop at the Manning Regional Healthcare Center (MRHC) earlier this week. Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, toured the facility on Wednesday with the purpose of their visit to understand the challenges and opportunities within rural healthcare. During their visit, the couple toured MRHC’s Recovery Center, one of western Iowa’s few substance abuse treatment centers. They learned about the various treatment services offered, discussed funding challenges, and praised local leaders for their continued effort to provide and expand quality addiction treatment close to home. Burgum highlighted the substance abuse crisis, particularly from fentanyl, and stressed the need for communities to tackle addiction, as an estimated 40 million Americans struggle with some form of addiction. During their visit, the Burgums also toured the Avel e-Care emergency response system and discussed the need for technological advances in rural healthcare. MRHC CEO Linn Block says, “We are thankful for the Governor and Kathryn’s visit to MRHC and appreciate them taking time to learn about the unique services we offer here, as well as the challenges we face with regard to rural healthcare funding and staffing.” With only four months until Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, Burgham is polling at 0.6 percent among likely GOP voters, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages.
