The legislature of the state of Kansas recognizes the importance and necessity of providing and regulating the system by which healthcare services are structured and integrated to promote the availability of and access to necessary and appropriate healthcare to protect the general health, safety and welfare of the rural residents of Kansas. The legislature of the state of Kansas seeks to: Improve the health of the rural population of Kansas; preserve access to healthcare; encourage collaboration among rural healthcare providers; promote delivery of quality rural healthcare; promote efficiency and efficacy of rural healthcare; embrace technology in the delivery of rural healthcare; and promote adequate and fair reimbursement for rural healthcare services. To this end, it is the policy of the state of Kansas to create a category of licensure to enable certain Kansas hospitals to receive federal healthcare reimbursement as rural emergency hospitals, and the implementation of this act facilitates such policy.