WASHINGTON - Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) today led a bipartisan group of 36 senators in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase the proposed volumes it set for biodiesel production under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

"While the proposal is a positive step for biodiesel, we remain concerned that the proposed biodiesel volumes for 2016 and 2017 fail to adequately recognize the domestic biodiesel industry's production capacity and its ability to increase production," the senators wrote to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.   "Biodiesel is the first EPA-designated advanced biofuel under the RFS to reach commercial scale production nationwide. It is exceeding the goals that Congress envisioned when it created the RFS with bipartisan support in 2005, while creating jobs, generating tax revenues, reducing pollution, and improving energy security. We urge you to support continued growth in the domestic biodiesel industry by making reasonable and sustainable increases in the biodiesel volumes for 2016 and 2017 in the final rule."

The senators noted that the EPA's prior delays in setting biodiesel volumes led to tremendous uncertainty and hardship for U.S. biodiesel producers and thousands of their employees, causing reduced production and even shutdowns, leading to layoffs and lost economic productivity.

Also, the agency's decision earlier this year to allow imports from Argentinean renewable fuel producers to participate in the RFS must be considered, and biodiesel volumes must be set at high enough levels to prevent displacement of domestic production, the senators wrote.

The EPA's proposed volumes for 2014 through 2017 are expected to become final by November 30, giving the agency an opportunity to increase them before then.  The public comment period on the current proposal closes July 27.

Bill would provide incentives for wireless carriers to make unused spectrum available for use by rural and smaller carriers in order to expand wireless coverage in rural communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) today introduced the bipartisan Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act. This bill would provide incentives for wireless carriers to lease unused spectrum to rural or smaller carriers in order to expand wireless coverage in rural communities. Both Congressmen serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee which oversees the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

"The future of economic development in Iowa and across the country depends, in large part, on access to the internet and mobility," said Congressman Loebsack. "I have met with many small businesses, farmers, and rural telecommunication companies who have stressed the importance of mobile internet access in rural areas. I am pleased to work with Rep. Kinzinger to introduce this legislation that will increase access to wireless broadband to help boost economic development, education opportunities and job growth in rural areas."

"The Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act promotes better utilization of spectrum to help rural America reap the full benefits of communications technology," said Congressman Kinzinger. "From small businesses trying to stay competitive in a global market or remote health clinics working to deliver expert telemedicine to underserved populations, expanding wireless coverage will help rural communities overcome the challenges they face. I am glad we could work together on this important legislation that will boost economic development in the 16th District as well as across the country."

The Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act would direct the FCC to establish a program that would provide a 3-year extension of the spectrum license to wireless carriers that lease unused spectrum to rural and smaller carriers, encouraging collaboration between companies to bridge service gaps in rural areas.

Click here for the text of the Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act.

DAVENPORT, Iowa - July 15, 2015 -- The health professionals providing patient care at Genesis Medical Center hospitals have education, experience, critical-thinking skills and one more important tool.

They also have nationally recognized information technology available to improve quality and safety of care, resulting in better patient outcomes.

For the 12th consecutive year, Genesis Health System has been named Most Wired by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine based on the use of information technology to accomplish key goals, including safety and quality objectives.

Genesis Health System is the only Iowa hospital or health system to be recognized as Most Wired 12 consecutive years.

Genesis has consistently adopted innovative technologies to accomplish key goals of safety and quality.

In the past year, Genesis has expanded the reach of MyGenesis, a patient portal allowing patients to have convenient access to their health records through a secured website.  No matter where a Genesis patient may be, they have access to their health records, including medication records and records from previous physician appointments and hospitalizations.

The MyGenesis portal for access to the physicians of Genesis Health Group is connected with 16,716 patients.  The MyGenesis portal for access to Genesis Medical Center records had 9,219 connections.

In the coming months, patients connected to MyGenesis will also have access to radiology and pathology documents.

MyGenesis is also available via smart phone.

"Genesis continues to stand well ahead of most health care organizations in the country in its use of technology to benefit our patients,'' said Rob Frieden, Vice President of Information Services, Genesis Health System. "Genesis leadership has been very supportive of the purchase and implementation of new technology benefitting patient care.''

Health Care's Most Wired Survey asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives.  Respondents completed 741 surveys, representing more than 2,200 hospitals, or more than 39 percent of U.S. Hospitals.

According to the survey, hospitals are taking more aggressive privacy and security measures to protect and safeguard patient data. Top growth areas in security among this year's Most Wired organizations include privacy audit systems, provisioning systems, data loss prevention, single sign-on and identity management. The survey also found:

• 96 percent of Most Wired organizations, including Genesis, use intrusion detection systems compared to 85 percent of the all respondents. Privacy audit systems (94 percent) and security incident event management (93 percent) are also widely used.

•79 percent of Most Wired organizations conduct incident response exercises or tabletop tests annually, a high-level estimate of the current potential for success of a cybersecurity incident response plan, compared to 37 percent of all responding hospitals.

•83 percent of Most Wired organizations report that hospital board oversight of risk management and reduction includes cybersecurity risk.

"We continue to move toward a seamless and secure approach to medical records, which makes health care safer, more convenient and less stressful for patients,'' Frieden said.

The nation's Most Wired hospitals and health systems demonstrate better outcomes in patient safety, risk-adjusted mortality rates and other key quality measures through the use of information technology, according to analysis.

"Our focus is always patient safety and quality of care,'' Frieden said.  "Will the new technology make our patients safer? Will it provide them with a better patient experience?

"And finally, will the new technology also create efficiencies for our caregivers and staff?''

The Most Wired winners are featured in the July edition of Hospitals and Health Networks (H&HN) magazine, the publication of the American Hospital Association.

About Genesis Health System

Genesis Health System, its affiliates and partners offer a full continuum of health care services in a 12-county region of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Our affiliates include : acute and tertiary hospital care at Genesis Medical Centers in Davenport, DeWitt, Iowa, Silvis, Ill., and Aledo, Ill.; home health and hospice services through Genesis VNA and Hospice; Genesis Workplace Services, including occupational health, employee assistance program and wellness services for employers and their employees; the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House; senior living communities offering rehabilitation and long-term care; Genesis Health Group, with more than 170 primary care physicians and specialists; the Genesis Quad Cities Family Medicine Residency Program; Genesis Psychology Associates; three Convenient Care clinics; and Genesis Home Medical Equipment.  Partners include the Genesis Medical Park, Crow Valley and Spring Street Surgical Center, Davenport. Genesis Health System also manages Jackson County Regional Health Center, Maquoketa, Iowa.  For more information, visit our Web site at www.genesishealth.com.

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2015 - Following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on May 29, 2015, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) today announced that all 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. may now apply for up to $100 million in grants under the Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership (BIP). The funding is to support the infrastructure needed to make more renewable fuel options available to American consumers. The Farm Service Agency will administer BIP.

USDA continues to aggressively pursue investments in American-grown renewable energy to create new markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers, help Americans save money on their energy bills, support America's clean energy economy, cut carbon pollution and reduce dependence on foreign oil and costly fossil fuels. A typical gas pump delivers fuel with 10 percent ethanol, which limits the amount of renewable energy most consumers can purchase at the pump.

Through BIP, USDA will award competitive grants, matched by states, to expand the infrastructure for distribution of higher blends of renewable fuel. These competitive grants are available to assist states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. with infrastructure funding. States that offer funding equal to or greater than that provided by the federal government will receive higher consideration for grant funds. States may work with private entities to enhance their offer.

CCC funds must be used to pay a portion of the costs related to the installation of fuel pumps and related infrastructure dedicated to the distribution of higher ethanol blends, for example E15 and E85, at vehicle fueling locations. The matching contributions may be used for these items or for related costs such as additional infrastructure to support pumps, marketing, education, data collection, program evaluation and administrative costs.

This new investment seeks to double the number of fuel pumps capable of supplying higher blends of renewable fuel to consumers. This will expand markets for farmers, support rural economic growth and the jobs that come with it, and ultimately give consumers more choices at the pump.

Applications must be submitted by July 15, 2015, using www.grants.gov. To locate, search by funding opportunity number "USDA-FSA-2015-22."