A new program from the federal government aims to bolster rural communities, such as Greenwood and other Mississippi Delta municipalities, by improving their access to federal resources.
The goals of the Rural Partners Network, a collaboration that includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 17 other agencies, including the Delta Regional Authority, are to work with community leaders to create jobs, improve infrastructure and revamp the rural communities’ economies, according to the USDA.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice discussed the program Wednesday during a visit to Greenwood Leflore Hospital with U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.
The two had visited Clarksdale earlier in the day. The stops are part of President Joe Biden Administration’s Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour.
“Greenwood is the gateway to the Delta. We want places like Greenwood to have a gateway to the federal government so they can access the resources they need to thrive,” Rice said.
This will be done by designating points of contact within federal agencies so that rural communities can use them when seeking technical and financial assistance. The program also will deploy USDA staff on the ground in rural communities to help local leaders navigate through these federal programs.
The federal staff will “bring in the all-government approach so communities can access the full breadth of federal resources,” Rice said. “Those federal staff will also be responsible for funneling up information to Washington about what’s working on the ground and what’s not working.”
Vilsack spoke about the significance of rural America.
“It is the place where most of our food comes from. It is the place where most of our water comes from. It is the place where most of our energy comes from,” he said.
Still, the federal government has been “siloed” from rural America, although the announcement of the Rural Partners Network presents a new opportunity, the secretary said.
Rice and Vilsack said another aim of the program is to take information gathered through it and make policy that helps rural America.
Also Wednesday, Vilsack announced that three rural health organization in the Delta have received grants from the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants, offered through the American Rescue Plan.
Greenwood Leflore Hospital has received a $1 million grant to offset losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the first six months of the current budget year, the hospital is showing a loss of $3.9 million, even after using more than $8.1 million in coronavirus relief money, mostly provided by Congress.
The Delta Health Center of Mound Bayou received $1 million to expand its telehealth services, and Delta Health Alliance received about $1 million to create a rapid testing, education and vaccination center at the Leland Medical Clinic.
Before Wednesday’s press conference, Vilsack, Rice and Thompson toured the hospital and held a roundtable discussion with civic and community leaders, including Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams, state Sen. David Jordan, Leflore County Supervisor Reginald Moore and Jason Studley, the CEO of the hospital, among others.
Topics included brain drain, flash flooding and manufacturing.
Thompson, noting the abundance of federal funds available to communities through the American Rescue Plan and Biden’s infrastructure package, said, “We have more money than we’ve ever had in my history of public service available to us.”
- Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
Leflore County Supervisor Reginald Moore speaks during a roundtable discussion held Wednesday at Greenwood Leflore Hospital among civic and community leaders in the Mississippi Delta and officials from the federal government. (By Andy Lo)
