- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
- Minnesota's Rural Ambulance Providers Look to State Capitol for Their Own Lifeline
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce
USDA Launches Resource Guide to Help America’s Rural Workforce Build Back Better
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson unveiled a resource guide to help rural community leaders start and expand employment opportunities and access resources to train, recruit and create a sustainable rural workforce.
“America’s rural workforce is critical to the success of the nation’s economy,” Maxson said. “As USDA continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and help restore the economy, we remain committed to helping rural employers build back America’s rural workforce to be better, stronger and more equitable than ever before.”
The resource guide outlines programs and services available at USDA and other federal agencies that support workforce development in rural communities. It helps community leaders and other local entities access resources more easily to create jobs, train talent, expand educational opportunities and provide technical assistance.
A resource matrix organizes USDA funding opportunities by four key assistance types:
- Workforce development planning;
- Infrastructure and equipment financing;
- Industry and employer engagement, entrepreneurship and local business development; and,
- Education, training and apprenticeship.
The guide also features examples of how customers have used USDA programs to support each assistance type. It includes recommendations on how rural leaders can replicate this assistance in their communities.
Additional resources to support rural workforce development are available at www.rd.usda.gov/rwin.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
Commentary: The Future of Rural Libraries Could Be Healthcare
With newly available funding opportunities and new technologies, libraries could be at the forefront of the rural healthcare revolution.
Libraries are in the vanguard of transforming healthcare delivery. Libraries reach out and touch virtually everyone in their communities across the entire economic spectrum. The same way libraries brought high-speed Internet to the underserved communities, so they will deploy telehealth to bring affordable healthcare where it’s most needed..
In October 2020, the Daily Yonder spotlighted Pottsboro, Texas’ public library and its director, Dianne Connery, who had plans to open a telehealth center in the library. Connerly seems to have unleashed significant pent-up desire to replicate telehealth in libraries nationwide.
She rolled out her telehealth center in January 2021 and in February she was promoted to rural special projects librarian. “Manage your expectations because it takes a while to build the crowd to telehealth services,” she said. “We only set appointments for two days a week. Our partner, the University of North Texas Health Science Center, will keep our growth steady and controlled.”
A lot of libraries right now are struggling to keep up with everything that’s going on,” said Henry Stokes, library technology consultant at Texas State Library and Archives. “But as they move forward and see their peers push telehealth initiatives, we’ll see health become prominently featured in libraries. Telehealth is such a great fit!” The Federal Communications Commission’s $7.1 billion E-rate grant program for libraries and schools will move many libraries sooner rather than later.
Biden Administration Continues Efforts to Increase Vaccinations By Bolstering Payments for At-Home COVID-19 Vaccinations for Medicare Beneficiaries
Action Could Impact as many as 1.6 Million People with Medicare
As part of President Biden’s commitment to increasing access to vaccinations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced an additional payment amount for administering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach. This announcement further demonstrates continued efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration to meet people where they are and make it as easy as possible for all Americans to get vaccinated. There are approximately 1.6 million adults 65 or older who may have trouble accessing COVID-19 vaccinations because they have difficulty leaving home.
While many Medicare beneficiaries can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a retail pharmacy, their physician’s office, or a mass vaccination site, some beneficiaries have great difficulty leaving their homes or face a taxing effort getting around their communities easily to access vaccination in these settings. To better serve this group, Medicare is incentivizing providers and will pay an additional $35 per dose for COVID-19 vaccine administration in a beneficiary’s home, increasing the total payment amount for at-home vaccination from approximately $40 to approximately $75 per vaccine dose. For a two-dose vaccine, this results in a total payment of approximately $150 for the administration of both doses, or approximately $70 more than the current rate.
“CMS is committed to meeting the unique needs of Medicare consumers and their communities – particularly those who are home bound or who have trouble getting to a vaccination site. That’s why we’re acting today to expand the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to people with Medicare at home,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-Lasure. “We’re committed to taking action wherever barriers exist and bringing the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to the door of older adults and other individuals covered by Medicare who still need protection.”
Delivering COVID-19 vaccination to access-challenged and hard-to-reach individuals poses some unique challenges, such as ensuring appropriate vaccine storage temperatures, handling, and administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has outlined guidance to assist vaccinators in overcoming these challenges. Today’s announcement now helps to address the financial burden associated with accommodating these complications.
The additional payment amount also accounts for the clinical time needed to monitor a beneficiary after the vaccine is administered, as well as the upfront costs associated with administering the vaccine safely and appropriately in a beneficiary’s home. The payment rate for administering each dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the additional in-home payment amount, will be geographically adjusted based on where the service is furnished.
How to Find a COVID-19 Vaccine
As today’s action demonstrates, a person’s ability to leave their home should not be an obstacle to getting the COVID-19 vaccine. As states and the federal government continue to break down barriers – like where vaccines can be administered – resources for connecting communities to vaccination options remain key. Unvaccinated individuals and those looking to assist friends and family can:
- Visit vaccines.gov (English) or vacunas.gov (Spanish) to search for vaccines nearby.
- Text GETVAX (438829) for English or VACUNA (822862) for Spanish for near-instant access to details on three vaccine sites in the local area.
- Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline at 1-800-232-0233 (TTY: 1-888-720-7489) for assistance in English and Spanish.
Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines
The federal government is providing the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge or with no cost-sharing for all people living in the United States. As a condition of receiving free COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government, vaccine providers cannot charge patients any amount for administering the vaccine.
Because no patient can be billed for COVID-19 vaccinations, CMS and its partners have provided a variety of information online for providers vaccinating all Americans regardless of their insurance status:
- Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage: Beneficiaries with Medicare pay nothing for COVID-19 vaccines or their administration, and there is no applicable copayment, coinsurance or deductible.
- Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP):State Medicaid and CHIP agencies must cover COVID-19 vaccine administration with no cost sharing for nearly all beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and for over a year after it ends. For the very limited number of Medicaid beneficiaries who are not eligible for this coverage (and do not receive it through other coverage they might have), providers may submit claims for reimbursement for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to underinsured individuals through the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), as discussed below. Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021, the federal matching percentage for state Medicaid and CHIP expenditures on COVID-19 vaccine administration is currently 100% (as of April 1, 2021), and will remain 100% for more than a year after the COVID-19 PHE ends. The ARP also expands coverage of COVID-19 vaccine administration under Medicaid and CHIP to additional eligibility groups. CMS recently updated the Medicaid vaccine toolkit to reflect the enactment of the ARP at https://www.medicaid.gov/state-resource-center/downloads/covid-19-vaccine-toolkit.pdf.
- Private Plans: The vaccine is free for people enrolled in private health plans and issuers COVID-19 vaccine and its administration is covered without cost sharing for most enrollees, and such coverage must be provided both in-network and out-of-network during the PHE. Current regulations provide that out-of-network rates must be reasonable as compared to prevailing market rates, and the rules reference using the Medicare payment rates as a potential guideline for insurance companies. In light of CMS’s increased Medicare payment rates, CMS will expect health insurance issuers and group health plans to continue to ensure their rates are reasonable when compared to prevailing market rates. Under the conditions of participation in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program, providers cannot charge plan enrollees any administration fee or cost sharing, regardless of whether the COVID-19 vaccine is administered in-network or out-of-network.
The Biden-Harris Administration is providing free access to COVID-19 vaccines for every adult living in the United States. For individuals who are underinsured, providers may submit claims for reimbursement for administering the COVID-19 vaccine through the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) after the claim to the individual’s health plan for payment has been denied or only partially paid. Information is available at https://www.hrsa.gov/covid19-coverage-assistance.
For individuals who are uninsured, providers may submit claims for reimbursement for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals without insurance through the Provider Relief Fund, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Information on the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program is available at https://www.hrsa.gov/CovidUninsuredClaim.
More information on Medicare payment for COVID-19 vaccine administration – including a list of billing codes, payment allowances and effective dates – is available at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/covid-19/medicare-covid-19-vaccine-shot-payment.
More information regarding the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Requirements and how the COVID-19 vaccine is provided through that program at no cost to recipients is available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/vaccination-provider-support.html.
Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on @CMSgov
Rural and Minority Health Research Center Annual Report Published
Over the last 20 years, health equity has been the focus of the Rural and Minority Health Research Center (RMHRC) at the University of South Carolina. For health equity to exist, obstacles that prevent all individuals from having an opportunity to live a healthy life must be identified and addressed. COVID-19’s impact on rural and minority communities has further illuminated the challenges rural communities, persons of color, and Indigenous people face. Increased socioeconomic burden, inadequate access to healthcare, and higher unemployment rates have exacerbated the impact from COVID-19 on these citizens who are disproportionately susceptible to the risks of COVID-19 infection and death.
The RMHRC Annual Report highlights our goals, accomplishments, and team members. In 2020, our research led to 59 peer-reviewed publications seven of which are presented in the annual report.
The Center’s data driven research can be used to inform impactful policies and improve population health. Let us know how we can help you support rural health.
Dental Benefit Limit Exceptions (BLE) Process Simplified in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Health Law Project (PHLP) recently published a simplified overview of the April changes to the Medicaid Benefit Limit Exception (BLE) process. Individuals can contact PHLP’s Helpline at 1-800-274-3258 or staff@phlp.org for help with a Medicaid dental service denial.
WHO Declares Oral Health a Global Priority
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared oral health a global priority. Health ministries supported a new resolution that urged oral health be included in the noncommunicable disease agenda. The resolution recommended a shift from the traditional curative approach towards a preventive approach that includes promotion of oral health within the family, schools and workplaces, and also a comprehensive and inclusive approach to the delivery of oral health care within the primary health care system. WHO also recommended that oral health care be included in universal health coverage programs. WHO will draft a global strategy on tackling oral diseases for consideration in 2022 and recommend an action plan by 2023.
COVID-19 Vaccine Resources for Rural Health Clinics (RHC)
Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution (RHCVD) Program. The Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Distribution Program (RHCVD) will distribute COVID-19 vaccines directly to RHCs to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in rural communities. This is a way to directly provide vaccines in your RHC while the patient is in your clinic. Studies have shown that a trusted-source for COVID-19 vaccine advice is the patient’s health care provider. This supply is in addition to your state allocation and allows for a choice from all three vaccines.
Important Changes to Pfizer Vaccine Shipment Sizes and Storage Requirements. Through RHCVD program, HRSA is now able to ship 450 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, rather than the previous minimum of 1,170. Also, the storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccine have been updated to a longer shelf life without ultra-cold storage. Here is the link for detailed storage advice from the CDC on each vaccine product. Concerns about wasting unused doses in a small-volume environment is secondary to the imperative to get “shots in the arms” according to this CDC resource.
Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program. Remember to apply for the RHCVC program. All RHCs that apply will be funded, but you must first apply. Here is a link to the NRHA webinar featuring FORHP speakers describing the RHCVC program. For information pertaining to Rewards and Incentives as part of you RHCVC application, please review this HHS OIG guidance on COVID-19 vaccination incentives. The deadline for application is June 23, 2021.
Rural Vaccine Toolkit and Resource Guide. To assist you in your vaccine administration efforts, and provide material for your RHCVC application, NRHA developed resources for your use. COVID-19 vaccination talking points for rural community leaders includes key facts and messages derived from NRHA research on common questions, concerns, and attitudes shared by rural Americans. COVID-19 vaccine resources is a compendium of useful information to help you navigate the many regional and national resources most relevant to rural leaders.
Save-the-Date: 2021 CMS National Training Program Virtual Workshops
Registration for the 2021 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Training Program (NTP) virtual workshops will open in mid-July. You’ll get an email with registration information. To help you plan, the dates for the sessions (subject to confirming speaker availability) are listed below. You’re invited to attend the session(s) of your choice to meet your schedule and learning needs. Live presentations will start at 1pm and end no later than 3:30pm (ET). Sessions will be recorded for later viewing.
July 2021
27th – Original Medicare
28th – Medicare Drug Coverage (Part D)
29th – Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)
August 2021
3rd – Medicare Advantage
4th – Marketplace 101
5th – Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
17th – Medicare Coverage for Services Related to COVID-19
18th – Medicare Coordination of Benefits
19th – Medicare Plan Finder
24th – Medicare Current Topics
25th – Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Medicare and Medicaid
26th – Where Do I Find? (Online Resources)
31st – Medicare Scenarios (Casework Session)
September 2021
1st – Medicare Rights & Protections
2nd – Social Security Benefits
Session materials will be available for download at the time of the event.
NOTE: Registration requests will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis until each session reaches capacity. The number of attendees from the same organization may be limited. If any session reaches capacity, we’ll work to schedule an additional offering for a later date.
HHS Launches Hotline to Improve Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for People with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind national hotline to connect people with disabilities to information and services to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) is now available to help people with disabilities find vaccination locations in their communities, assist callers with making vaccination appointments, and connect callers to local services – such as accessible transportation – to overcome barriers to vaccination. The hotline also can provide information and resources to answer questions and address concerns about the vaccines and can connect callers to information and services that promote independent living and address fundamental needs, such as food, housing, and transportation.
DIAL is operated as a collaboration between a consortium of organizations serving people with disabilities and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). The consortium includes:
- Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL),
- Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD),
- Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU),
- National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD),
- National Council on Independent Living (NCIL),
- National Disabilities Rights Network (NDRN), and
- The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies.
This collaboration benefits from the disability networks’ extensive knowledge and expertise in meeting the needs of people with disabilities across the U.S. and n4a’s decades of experience operating the Eldercare Locator, the only federally funded national information and referral resource that supports consumers across the spectrum of issues affecting older Americans. By leveraging these capabilities, ACL was able to launch this critical tool in less than six weeks.
DIAL was created through a partnership between the Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help older adults and people with disabilities get COVID-19 vaccines. With support from CDC, ACL also:
- Increased the capacity of the Eldercare Locator to connect older adults, including those who are unable to leave their homes and those who live in underserved communities, to local COVID-19 vaccination resources.
- Issued nearly $93 million in grants to the aging and disability networks in every state and territory to provide critical services to overcome barriers that are preventing millions of those most at-risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19 from receiving vaccines.
About the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL)
The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) connects callers to information about how to access the COVID-19 vaccine and related supports for people with disabilities. DIAL connects callers to vaccine sites and provides information related to barriers to vaccination by referring callers to local and national disability resources.
acl.gov/dial | 888-677-1199 from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET | DIAL@n4a.org
About the Eldercare Locator
Launched in 1991, the Eldercare Locator is the only national information and referral resource to provide support to consumers across the spectrum of issues affecting older Americans. The Locator was established and is funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).
eldercare.acl.gov | 800-677-1116 from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET | eldercarelocator@n4a.org
About the Administration for Community Living
The Administration for Community Living was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. By funding services and supports provided by networks of community-based organizations, and with investments in research, education, and innovation, ACL helps make this principle a reality for millions of Americans.
About the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities strives to advance the health and well-being of our nation’s most vulnerable populations. NCBDDD’s work is broad and far-reaching, and includes four areas of focus: saving babies through surveillance, research, and prevention of birth defects and infant disorders; helping children live to the fullest by understanding developmental disabilities; protecting people by preventing the complications of blood disorders; improving the health of people living with disabilities.
USDA to Invest More Than $4 Billion to Strengthen Food System
Investments Will Support Biden Administration’s Effort to Strengthen Critical Supply Chains
Citing lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent supply chain disruptions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to invest more than $4 billion to strengthen critical supply chains through the Build Back Better initiative. The new effort will strengthen the food system, create new market opportunities, tackle the climate crisis, help communities that have been left behind, and support good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain. Today’s announcement supports the Biden Administration’s broader work on strengthening the resilience of critical supply chains as directed by Executive Order 14017 America’s Supply Chains. Funding is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act and earlier pandemic assistance such as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
Secretary Vilsack was also named co-chair of the Administration’s new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. The Task Force will provide a whole of government response to address near-term supply chain challenges to the economic recovery. The Task Force will convene stakeholders to diagnose problems and surface solutions—large and small, public or private—that could help alleviate bottlenecks and supply constraints related to the economy’s reopening after the Administration’s historic vaccination and economic relief efforts.
USDA will invest more than $4 billion to strengthen the food system, support food production, improved processing, investments in distribution and aggregation, and market opportunities. Through the Build Back Better initiative, USDA will help to ensure the food system of the future is fair, competitive, distributed, and resilient; supports health with access to healthy, affordable food; ensures growers and workers receive a greater share of the food dollar; and advances equity as well as climate resilience and mitigation. While the Build Back Better initiative addresses near- and long-term issues, recent events have exposed the immediate need for action. With attention to competition and investments in additional small- and medium-sized meat processing capacity, the Build Back Better initiative will spur economic opportunity while increasing resilience and certainty for producers and consumers alike.
“The COVID-19 pandemic led to massive disruption for growers and food workers. It exposed a food system that was rigid, consolidated, and fragile. Meanwhile, those growing, processing and preparing our food are earning less each year in a system that rewards size over all else,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Build Back Better initiative will make meaningful investments to build a food system that is more resilient against shocks, delivers greater value to growers and workers, and offers consumers an affordable selection of healthy food produced and sourced locally and regionally by farmers and processors from diverse backgrounds. I am confident USDA’s investments will spur billions more in leveraged funding from the private sector and others as this initiative gains traction across the country. I look forward to getting to work as co-chair of the new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and help to mobilize a whole-of-government effort to address the short-term supply challenges our country faces as it recovers.”
The Build Back Better Initiative will strengthen and transform critical parts of the U.S. food system. As it makes investments through this initiative, USDA will also seek to increase transparency and competition with attention to how certain types of conduct in the livestock markets and the meat processing sector have resulted in thinly-traded markets and unfair treatment of some farmers, ranchers and small processors. Among other investments in the food system and food supply chain, Build Back Better will specifically address the shortage of small meat processing facilities across the country as well as the necessary local and regional food system infrastructure needed to support them.
Funding announcements under the Build Back Better initiative will include a mix of grants, loans, and innovative financing mechanisms for the following priorities, each of which includes mechanisms to tackle the climate crisis and help communities that have been left behind, including:
- Food Production: Food production relies on growers, including farmers and ranchers, workers, and critical inputs. But a diminishing share of the food dollar goes to these essential workers. USDA will invest in the current and future generation of food producers and workers throughout the food system with direct assistance, grants, training and technical assistance, and more.
- Food Processing: The pandemic highlighted challenges with consolidated processing capacity. It created supply bottlenecks, which led to a drop in effective plant and slaughter capacity. Small and midsize farmers often struggled to compete for processing access. USDA will make investments to support new and expanded regional processing capacity.
- Food Distribution & Aggregation: Food aggregation and distribution relies on people working together throughout the food system and having the right infrastructure to gather, move and hold the food where and when it is needed. This system was stressed during the pandemic due to long shipping distances and lack of investment in local and regional capacity. USDA will make investments in food system infrastructure that can remain resilient, flexible and responsive.
- Markets & Consumers: The U.S. spends more on health care and less on food than any other high-income nation; yet the U.S. has higher rates of diet-related illness and a lower life expectancy than those nations. At the same time, many socially disadvantaged and small and mid-sized producers do not have equitable access to markets. USDA will support new and expanded access to markets for a diversity of growers while helping eaters access healthy foods.
USDA will continue to make announcements through the Build Back Better initiative in the months to come. Today’s announcement is in addition to the $1 billion announced last week to purchase healthy food for food insecure Americans and build food bank capacity, putting the total announced thus far at more than $5 billion.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.