United States Senator Charles Grassley paid a visit to Dallas County Hospital in Perry Friday morning, as part of his yearly 99 County Tour across Iowa.

Grassley toured the facility, and complimented its layout and variety of services offered. He also met with several hospital employees, discussing topics such as the bipartisan Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital (REACH) Act, a bill seeking to lower prescription drug costs, the 340B healthcare program for low-income individuals, and fears surrounding the novel coronavirus. Grassley feels it’s important to visit hospitals around the state each year, since it can be difficult for them to come to him. “When I have an open town meeting in any town in Dallas County, I never get people that are healthcare people – because they’re busy – to come to my town meeting. So I tend to go to four or five hospitals a year out of 99 county visits, I tend to go to a lot of factories, (and) I go to about 10-12 high schools, because I go to people that can’t come to my open town meetings.”

Senator Grassley visits each of Iowa’s 99 counties at least once each year, a program he’s been doing since first being elected. He said he tries to get a wide range of visits under his belt, whether they be larger town hall gatherings or private tours like his visit to DCH.