Category Archives: Funding

MN Legislature is working out Agriculture and Broadband Budget

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Brownfield News reports…

A conference committee is working out differences in the Agriculture and Broadband Budget as the Minnesota Legislative Session hits the home stretch.

House Ag Committee Chair Samantha Vang tells Brownfield she and Senate Ag Chair Aric Putnam are aligned on much of the bill.

“The differences are just a matter of how much funding we put towards each of these issues, so I think those can be resolved very quickly and hopefully this week we get to see conference committee up for adoption.”

She calls the ag budget very robust.

Both House and Senate have budgeted $100 million for broadband; so this isn’t big news but nice to know it’s moving along.

EVENT May 15: Paul Bunyan Communications and Red Lake Nation Affordable Connectivity Program Sign Up Day

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I share for the folks in the area who might benefit (please tell a friend who isn’t online and might benefit). I also share for other communities that might host a similar event…

Paul Bunyan Communications and the Red Lake Nation are holding another a sign-up day for the Affordable Connectivity Program on Monday, May 15 from 1-4 p.m. at the Red Lake Community Center, 15041 Great Nation Drive.

The Affordable Connectivity Program will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households struggling to afford internet service and provides a discount of up to a $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for qualifying households on qualifying Tribal lands.

A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  • Has an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines;
  • Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
  • Participates inone of several Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (only households meeting the relevant income qualifying standard) Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
  • Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income program.

Eligible households can enroll at the sign-up event, through a participating broadband provider, or by going to ACPBenefit.org to submit an online application or print a mail-in application and contacting their preferred participating broadband provider and selecting a plan.  Additional information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit is available at www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET any day of the week.

 

Martin County approves two ARPA broadband grants

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The Fairmont Sentinel reports…

The Martin County Economic Development Authority board held a meeting on Monday and approved two broadband development grants as well as measures which will provide event management training. The board also launched a new website.

The board approved two grant requests from its rural broadband development program. The first was submitted by Bevcomm and requested $71,879 which would fund 25 percent of $287,516 which would serve 128 households and 13 additional locations in the Granada area. The second project was a much larger project submitted by Federated REA which would connect much of rural Martin County.

Here’s a little bit more about the Martin County Broadband Partnership Project…

The board approved two grant requests from its rural broadband development program. The first was submitted by Bevcomm and requested $71,879 which would fund 25 percent of $287,516 which would serve 128 households and 13 additional locations in the Granada area. The second project was a much larger project submitted by Federated REA which would connect much of rural Martin County.

The funding for the project comes from ARPA funds.

Duluth is looking at using proceeds from Cirrus property sale go to fund local broadband

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Duluth News Tribune reports…

A proposal to direct the proceeds from the sale of a facility to Cirrus Aircraft into a dedicated fund intended to support local efforts to launch a city-owned broadband system received a lukewarm reception at a meeting of the Duluth Economic Development Authority Wednesday evening.

A “statement of purpose” attached to a resolution authorizing the sale of an aviation incubator building to Cirrus for $3.45 million said: “Proceeds of the sale will be used to fund the city’s broadband internet project.”

But DEDA commissioner and at large city councilor Arik Forsman said he could support the resolution only with the understanding that it would not obligate funds for a project that has not yet received council approval.

They already have a fund set up…

Already, the city has directed about $2 million into the broadband fund, with half that money coming from the American Rescue Plan Act and the remainder coming from a decommissioned tax-increment financing district.

Fleege said the proceeds from the sale of the incubator building to Cirrus would bring the balance in the broadband fund to about $5.4 million.

The resolution passed, but it seems like the part of the reason is desire for better broadband and part is desire for a place to park the funds outside of the general funds…

DEDA Commissioner and 3rd District City Councilor Roz Randorf, moved to amend the resolution’s statement of purpose to say proceeds from the property sale to Cirrus “may be” used to fund the city’s broadband internet project, “subject to council approval.” Her motion was seconded and approved by a 6-0 vote before the amended resolution passed by the same margin.

Electronic Health Records used less in rural hospitals – what do MN hospitals look like?

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A recent GAO report indicates…

Electronic health information exchange is the ability to exchange medical records and other health information electronically among health care providers and between health care providers and patients. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provided federal enhanced Medicaid matching funds to states through 2021 to support certain efforts to advance electronic exchange. Nearly all states used these funds, and most have identified other sources to sustain those efforts. Survey data show that the use of various electronic exchange methods among hospitals and physicians has increased in recent years. However, GAO found that as of 2021, reported use among small and rural hospitals was lower than that of other hospitals.

The GAO surveyed seven states to see what happened to that funding and how hospitals were using Electronic Health Records (HER). Minnesota was one of those states. The table below shows how Minnesota hospitals are exchanging information. It is eye opening to see that 40 percent of MN hospitals often use mail or faxes and 73 percent receive them! It’s worth noting that both MN and Colorado have a higher percentage of use of EHR vendor network; that’s because in both states most hospitals used the same vendor.

One concerning factor across the board (for most readers here)…

Stakeholders we interviewed, including representatives from state agencies and HIE organizations, also noted that broadband access and availability in rural communities had improved in recent years, primarily due to federal and state efforts aimed at expanding broadband. However, they noted that despite these efforts, lack of broadband access, particularly in very rural areas of the country, continues to be an impediment to electronic exchange.

I’m not patient waiting for a kid’s strep throat results; I can only imaging the USPS playing a role in other diagnosis and I’d hate to think that lack of broadband was a cause!

Republican US Senators’ recommendations to make BEAD funding easier for commercial providers

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society has compiled info on Senator Thune’s recommended changes to BEAD program’s NOFA…

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) led 10 colleagues in a letter to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson expressing concerns with the $42.45 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). As part of his nationwide broadband oversight effort to hold agencies accountable and ensure funding is being used in the most efficient way possible, Sen Thune urged NTIA to revise or issue a new NOFO for the BEAD program in order to reach, and more efficiently connect, truly unserved Americans. They asked NTIA to address the following issues:

  1. Labor Requirements: Under the Information Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress directed NTIA to give priority to eligible broadband providers that have a “demonstrated record of and plans to be in compliance with Federal labor and employment laws.” The NOFO goes far beyond this statutory objective, however, by actively discriminating against workers in ways that could deny communities – particularly those in more rural areas – access to reliable broadband services.
  2. Encouragement of Government-Owned Networks: The NOFO gives favorable treatment to government-owned networks over private investment. Specifically, the NOFO requires states to include “an explanation for awards to traditional broadband providers when one or more non-traditional providers submitted competing proposals.” This misguided incentive, which was not included in the IIJA, could divert program dollars to less capable providers – a real risk given municipal broadband’s track record of costly failure.
  3. Tech-Neutrality: The NOFO generally prohibits non-fiber projects from receiving BEAD funding despite Congress’ technology neutral stance in the IIJA, which permitted all technologies, including wireless service, to be eligible for funding as long as they meet the IIJA’s network requirements. Further, under the NOFO’s rules, a state that does not use fiber must submit an overly complex and burdensome waiver request, inconsistent with Congress’ intent.  States, working with the broadband providers that serve their communities, should not be precluded from awarding sub-grants to alternative technologies, if doing so  is the right solution for their communities. In the absence of such flexibility, NTIA will fail in its mission to efficiently connect all Americans.
  4. Mandates for Affordability and Rate Regulation: The IIJA does not allow NTIA “to regulate the rates charged for broadband service.” Contrary to Congress’ intent, the NOFO requires states to “ensure that high-quality broadband services are available to all middle-class families in the BEAD-funded network’s service area at reasonable prices.” This provision falsely suggests that states and NTIA have the authority to regulate rates for broadband service and should be removed from BEAD rules. Additionally, the NOFO introduces an additional form of rate regulation by giving preference to providers that agree to interconnect with their competitors at wholesale rates. NTIA should make it clear that states do not have the authority to regulate rates, and NTIA should refrain from introducing any new rules relating to rate regulation or wholesale access requirements that are inconsistent with its direction from Congress.
  5. Climate Change Mandates: The NOFO makes several references to and includes a policy that was not included in the IIJA relating to climate change. The NOFO states “eligible entities must account not only for current [climate-related] risks but also for how the frequency, severity, and nature of these extreme events may plausibly evolve as our climate continues to change over the coming decades.” This extraneous requirement was not envisioned by Congress and diverts resources away from bringing broadband connectivity to unserved Americans. The NOFO is not the place for NTIA to be pushing the Biden administration’s unrealistic environmental agenda onto the American public, and it therefore should be removed.
  6. Supply-Chain Issues: The IIJA rightfully recognizes the importance of purchasing broadband products and supplies from American workers and businesses. At the same time, the IIJA provides agencies the ability to waive such a requirement should it satisfy a number of strict thresholds. If NTIA wants to ensure broadband projects are built in a timely manner, NTIA should work alongside stakeholders to develop a consistent waiver process for certain components of a broadband network.

 

Senator Putnam on Senate’s $100 million for broadband

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The St Cloud Times posts an opinion piece from Senator Putnam…

I think some people were surprised when I was named Chair of the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee in the Minnesota Senate.  You wouldn’t call our community agricultural as a whole, and I’m not a farmer.  So, I guess the surprise makes some sense.

Here’s what he said about broadband…

We are putting $100 million toward broadband and dedicating a chunk of that sum to hard to reach, underserved areas through the new “low-density” program.  It’s more expensive to extend broadband to the end of a road or in a very rural area, but folks who live there matter too.

We might know about the need for broadband, but there is a good chance we aren’t as aware of the stress and economic hardship caused when a grain elevator fails.

As I’ve said before, while $100 million is more than has been received in the past, it will not get broadband to everyone. Not even when the federal money starts seeping into the State.

 

Imagine moving to an area with slow internet – would you work like Barbara Drӧher Kline to fix it?

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This week, the Benton Institute tells the story of one of Minnesota’s most tenacious broadband champions…

Barbara Drӧher Kline thought she knew what she was getting into when she moved halfway across the country and bought a 1890s farmhouse in rural Le Sueur county, Minnesota. Contractors advised her to tear the house down, but she loved a fixer-upper, especially after she had refined her remodeling skills on her previous home in California, a redwood log cabin near San Francisco.
Drӧher Kline wasn’t scared by a rural lifestyle either. Both she and her husband, John Kline, had roots in the state, and he had grown up nearby.
The plot twist was something even HGTV had not prepared her for: slow internet.
The internet service provider for her new home, Frontier Communications, offered outdated technology with frequent outages and notoriously poor customer service.

Barbara has been very active as a Blandin Broadband Communities champion, a speaker at various Blandin and other local events and she was on the last iteration of the Minnesota Broadband Task Force. We are glad she is here. Her lack of good broadband has helped her help her new community but it is frustrating to imagine moving into a new place, albeit a fixer-upper and funding inadequate broadband…

“We just assumed there would be something…we lived in a canyon in northern California, and we had a bunch of different options there,” she said.

Realtors are legally required to disclose lots of information to prospective buyers, like whether the house runs on a septic tank or certain potential hazards like flooding or earthquakes. Internet, however, is less regulated than other fields.

It turns out realtors are the MLS housing database only reveal whether a house can get connected, not if the connection is any good. Realtors and home buyers are interested in changing that…

Among surveyed realty associations in Minnesota and California, realtors agree that the MLS should provide more ways to disclose information about a home’s internet connection but are hesitant to call for another mandatory field.

Across the board, realtors emphasize the shared duty of homebuyers and realtors to avoid assumptions and ask informed questions throughout the process.

After trying various options and getting engaged, Barb found a solution for help herself…

She struck a deal with Bevcomm: she would pay $2,700 of the cost to extend service to her home and the company picked up the rest, an estimated $3,000 – 4,000.

“We were that close, so we could afford to do it, and now it would be double that. Most people can’t afford to do that,” she said.

But she’s used her experience to help others in the community…

When she ran for a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018, poor internet was one of the bread-and-butter issues that motivated her, and something her neighbors echoed.

While she lost the election, a tide started to turn, at least in her county. Individual requests like that of Drӧher Kline became fodder for a larger public-private partnership between Bevcomm, Le Sueur county, and the state. As part of that deal, and many other similar projects, Bevcomm contributes roughly 25 percent, the state gives 50 percent of the funding, and the county covers the rest, said Bill Eckles, the CEO of Bevcomm.

Barb continues to work on it…

With the advent of a state broadband grant program and the recent influx of COVID-19 relief dollars, Eckles said Bevcomm has seen fewer calls from neighbors like Drӧher Kline, and more counties that come forward with proposals of their own.

But Drӧher Kline is still worried about the math. Now she sits on the Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, where she’s working to change the funding formula to lower the burden on taxpayers and encourage more companies like Bevcomm to serve rural counties like hers.

One thing Barb wanted me to help clarify, she is not opposed to state and federal tax investment in broadband – it’s the burden of property taxes.

MN House passes Ag Bill with $100 million for broadband

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KFGO reports…

Republicans say an agriculture budget bill, which normally enjoys broad bipartisan support, passed the Minnesota House on only a party-line vote Thursday.

They didn’t agree on everything but…

However, both parties are giving thumbs-up to a 100-million-dollar increase to expand broadband access in Greater Minnesota.

OPPORTUNITY: DEED encourages applications for broadband expansion program by April 30, 2023

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I’ve written about this opportunity in the past but figured sharing a timely reminder from DEED would be helpful…

Ahead of an important April 30 deadline, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is encouraging Minnesotans to apply for its Line Extension Program to connect homes and businesses to high-speed broadband.

The DEED Office of Broadband Development’s Line Extension Program connects internet service providers to residents and businesses that lack high-speed broadband.

If applicants are in areas where high-speed broadband is available, DEED will help service providers contact applicants about connecting to the service. If no provider offers broadband at an applicant’s address, the Line Extension Program awards grants for providers who want to extend existing broadband infrastructure to the unserved locations, providing higher-speed internet to more people around the state.

Minnesota residents and businesses that lack access to broadband speeds of at least 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 3Mbps upload can apply online through the Office of Broadband Development. They can also request a paper application by calling 651-259-7610 or emailing DEED.broadband@state.mn.us. Minnesotans are encouraged to apply even if they do not know their existing Internet speeds.

“High-speed broadband helps families stay connected to work, school, and healthcare. It allows businesses big and small to reach more customers and grow” said Bree Maki, executive director of the Office of Broadband Development at DEED. “The Line Extension Program is one of the ways DEED is connecting more people to the broadband they need. We encourage Minnesotans who need faster connections to apply for this program.”

While DEED will accept applications throughout the year, the Office of Broadband Development will only review applications, contact applicants, and award extension grants every six months. The first review period begins on May 1, meaning Minnesotans hoping to participate most quickly should apply before then.

The Legislature created the Line Extension Program in 2022, allocating $15 million for broadband extension grants to further DEED’s mission to connect more Minnesotans to high-speed broadband. Minnesota’s 2026 goal is that all homes and businesses have access to broadband with download speeds of at least 100Mbps and upload speeds of at least 20 Mbps.

Line Extension is one of several programs DEED’s Office of Broadband Development administers to expand Minnesota’s broadband access.

Last year the agency announced the state’s largest-ever investment in broadband when it awarded $99.6 million in grants through the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant program to 61 expansion projects around the state. The funding will connect more than 33,000 Minnesota homes and businesses in 48 counties to high speed broadband. Legislative leaders and Governor Walz have agreed to provide $100 million this session to fund future Border-to-Border grants.

“Programs like Line Extension show how Minnesota’s legislators, private sector, DEED, and the rest of the Walz-Flanagan Administration are working together to bring high-speed broadband to everyone in Minnesota,” said DEED Temporary Commissioner Kevin McKinnon. “We appreciate this ongoing partnership and look forward to helping more people access important high-speed broadband.”

OPPORTUNITY: USDA offers new funding to Promote the Expansion of High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas

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The USDA reports on funding for technical assistance to help rural communities get better broadband…

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of $20 million to deliver broadband technical assistance resources for rural communities, and to support the development and expansion of broadband cooperatives. USDA is offering the funding under the new Broadband Technical Assistance Program. The program supports technical assistance projects such as conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Funding is also available to help organizations access federal resources, and to conduct data collection and reporting.  “USDA is committed to making sure that people, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet. That’s how you grow the economy – not just in rural communities, but across the nation,” said USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small. “USDA is partnering with small towns, local utilities and cooperatives, and private companies to increase access to this critical service which in turn boosts opportunity and helps build bright futures.”
This initiative is made possible through President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion to expand access and lower costs of high-speed internet.. This initiative has been designed to work in conjunction with other high-speed internet programs to meet President Biden’s goal to connect every community in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. Today’s announcement reflects the goals of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild the economy from the middle-out and bottom-up.

USDA encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:

  • Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure;
  • Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to USDA Rural Development (RD) programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and
  • Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.

Applicants must choose one of the following funding categories:

  • Technical Assistance Providers: Applicants must propose to deliver broadband technical assistance that will benefit rural communities. Up to $7.5 million is available. The minimum award is $50,000. The maximum is $1 million.
  • Technical Assistance Recipients: Applicants must be the recipients of the broadband technical assistance. Up to $7.5 million is available. The minimum award is $50,000. The maximum is $250,000.
  • Projects Supporting Cooperatives: Applicants must propose projects that support the establishment or growth of broadband cooperatives that will benefit rural communities.  Up to $5 million is available. The minimum award is $50,000. The maximum is $1 million.

USDA 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. 

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, ensuring access to 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.

 

Report estimates cost for nationwide ubiquitous broadband at $230 billion – that’s not what’s being invested

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Telecompetitor reports…

The cost to the federal government to bring fiber broadband to every U.S. household that NTIA considers “unserved” or “underserved” would be approximately $230 billion, according to a study from fixed wireless equipment provider Tarana Wireless, which gave Telecompetitor an exclusive first look at the study. That’s more than five times the funding that the government has earmarked for broadband deployments in the BEAD and RDOF programs, the study notes.

The $230 billion estimate is the amount of funding needing after factoring in the 25% matching funds that network operators are required to contribute to project costs, Tarana said.

Part of a librarian’s bibliographic instruction 101 is looking at who wrote it and why. Here the author is a fixed wireless equipment provider. They are trying to make the case that it’s too expensive to pull fiber to everyone but that wireless is a viable solution…

Guidelines for the BEAD program established by the NTIA require funding recipients to deploy fiber unless the cost per location exceeds the extremely high cost per location threshold or for “other valid reasons.”

Tarana and other fixed wireless stakeholders are hoping that states will seek waivers of the requirement to deploy fiber broadband so that they can direct funding to less costly fixed wireless builds, thereby reaching more people.

In the absence of those waivers, “we will run out of money and will not be [addressing] the Digital Divide today because of how long it takes to lay all that fiber,” said Carl Guardino, vice president of government affairs for Tarana, in an interview with Telecompetitor.

They aren’t wrong. Fiber is more expensive, but it is more reliable. Wireless is impacted by capacity, weather and line of sight issues. So… Do we reach the most people we can? Or do we reach the areas with the hardest business case to make for investment? Or judge by terrain? And if there is a demarcation of where to deploy fiber and wireless – are we creating future broadband ghettos? Yes, a person without broadband now will happily take a wireless connection – but will new people or businesses move into those areas?

The future is both wired and wireless. Communities, residents and businesses that have both are better poised for success. Maybe we ask for more money.

Will Minnesota’s municipal network barriers delay BEAD funding?

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Broadband Now reports…

For decades, municipal broadband operations have been subject to a minefield of restrictions and barriers designed to make the prospect of establishing or maintaining a community broadband network costly, difficult, and unsustainable.

There are currently 17 states in total that have restrictive legislation against municipal broadband networks in the U.S. To explore further, see a directory of all internet providers in the United States or enter a ZIP code to find all internet providers in your area.

Although no states have managed to remove their restrictions in 2022, 2023 could be the year that things begin to change for states that have historically been opposed to allowing for a public option. A key stipulation in the language surrounding the BEAD grants may set up a large-scale, politically motivated battleground.

Minnesota is on that list…

Minnesota

Minn. Stat. Ann. § 237.19; Minn. Stat. Ann. § 429.021

Minnesota state laws require municipal governments proposing to offer telecommunications exchange to obtain a referendum “supermajority” of 65% of voters to proceed. Municipal governments are able to construct, extend, improve and maintain facilities for Internet access only if the city council finds that the proposed broadband network and service will not compete with existing services provided by private telecom companies, or if such services are not and will not be available through private telecom companies in the foreseeable future.

Find and Compare Internet Providers in Minnesota.

The Legislature is in session now. Now would be a good time to look into what would be needed to remove of minimize the barrier.

MN Senate passes bill with $100M for broadband grants

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KIMT3 News reports…

Minnesota lawmakers in the State Senate passed the first massive spending bill of the session on a bipartisan vote of 58-7 on Thursday.

The Omnibus Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development Bill costs around $145 million dollars and funds ag programs. research, food shelves, tax credits for farmers that are selling their property and broadband internet expansions in rural communities.

The latter would receive $100 million dollars to spread broadband to unserved and underserved areas across the state.

One of those programs includes the Lower Population Density Grant Program, which would help fund 75% of rural broadband costs in communities that need it.

Minnesota Republican Senators Westrom and Lang both noted that they were disappointed that bill didn’t invest more. In January 2023, Governor Walz recommended $276 million for broadband.

 

Gilda’s Club in the TC helping to get cancer support to unserved with broadband and devices

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Yahoo Finance reports…

Gilda’s Club Twin Cities, part of the Cancer Support Community (CSC) global non-profit network providing free social and emotional support for everyone impacted by cancer, announced a new initiative to improve access to cancer support and education, especially among individuals at higher risk of developing cancer residing in urban and rural settings in Minnesota. In a highly unique approach to connecting with medically underserved people, Gilda’s Club Twin Cities is working with Equiva, a digital health platform provider that recently unveiled its Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)-centric solution.

Here are some details…

Through Equiva’s ACP-centric solution, the organizations are collaborating to ensure eligible households get FCC discounts of up to $30 per month toward internet service (up to $75 per month for Tribal lands) and that each household enrolled by Gilda’s Club Twin Cities receives a tablet device preloaded with digital access to virtual cancer support groups, healthy lifestyle education, cancer treatment information, and other resources. It also includes the clinically validated Cancer Support Source® distress, depression and anxiety screener, which will allow Gilda’s Club to identify individuals who could benefit from emotional support services or resource referrals.

To help enroll ACP-eligible households across Minnesota, Gilda’s Club Twin Cities is making impacted individuals, healthcare providers, and community organizations aware of the ACP. Additionally, they are educating these constituents about their collaboration with Equiva and their efforts to deliver oncology- specific digital offerings to at-risk individuals.