HHS: Where Food, Farming, and Medicine Intersect
This is the last installment in my three-week series about Federal Departments that impact our business. I promise to get back to herbal education next time. But today, I want to share a little about my personal story and perspective on our current political situation with a focus on the FDA. It's long but stick with me!
From Herbalism to Nursing: An Unlikely Journey
People are often surprised to learn I studied herbalism before becoming a nurse. Many assume I turned away from modern medicine, but the truth is quite the opposite. I learned about ecology in some of the wildest places left in the lower 48, studied the impact of and recovery from human disturbance in our last old growth forests, and I spent years apprenticing with several different herbalists studying botanical ID, harvesting, processing and use of plants therapeutically.
I was working in behavioral research and after spending time working with people in both deeply urban and deeply rural environments, had concluded that a lot of what was contributing to behavioral issues was the result of the path that humanity was on- one of disconnection from the natural world. Following what at the time was just an instinct, I wanted to understand more about how to mend this wound. The practical side of me also knew that there were some things that humans encounter that herbalism was no match for.
After ruling out medical and nutrition programs, I explored nursing to connect with and care for people. I decided to get a job in a hospital and see if the role was the right one for me. Once I got over the fact that every employee working in healthcare and every patient being cared for has their own medical footprint that is likely contributing to some of the health problems that we face as a society (medical waste incineration is an environmental justice issue, for example), I continually reminded myself that there is a person lying in the bed that needs my help. And despite all the negative things, I loved the work. And I loved my patients.
In my first role as a “patient care technician” I checked vital signs, blood sugars and performed some of the standard surveillance services needed in an acute care environment. I also gave bed baths, gently combed out matted hair, and assisted nurses with wound care- sometimes just holding the hand of the person who was in tears as they experienced the pain of it. I learned about what D-Day was like from someone who was there in the water for what he said felt like days, unable to feel his legs due to the cold. I saw what the tattoos looked like that were imprinted on those who managed to survive concentration camps and lived to tell about it. I met people who had Polio and lived into their 80s but never regained the ability to walk without crutches. And this was all within a few months.
The Healthcare System’s Strengths and Challenges
After over twenty years in scrubs and providing care, I still feel ecological despair about our healthcare system and what it requires of the planet. I’m concerned about using plastic gowns that are discarded immediately and thick gloves needed to handle the urine of patients on chemo, needing to “flush twice” to reduce toxic residue in the bowl. Our commodities production system, heavily influenced by government subsidies, focuses on energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods grown with questionable herbicides and pesticides, contributing to the very chronic diseases my patients face. Despite all of its flaws, most individuals working for the Department of Health and Human Services are vigorously pursuing justice, trying to decrease ecological impacts, and improving health outcomes. HHS's work impacts nearly everyone in the U.S. It oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the CDC, the FDA, the NIH, and nearly a hundred other programs.
Our healthcare system has historically been the envy of the world with regard to our investment in research into wellness promotion, pathologies, and medical technologies. HHS has initiated significant positive changes in the last few decades, from reducing hospital-acquired infections to funding essential NIH research on the microbiome and chronic diseases. These efforts yield tangible results, such as therapies that are less invasive with fewer side effects, enhanced ecological designs for greener and healthier city planning and greater understanding of the drivers of chronic diseases, such as long covid. And while I have definitely felt the weight of regulatory burden as a nurse, a farmer, and an herbal manufacturer, I don't think a scorched earth approach is the right one.
Why HHS Matters to Our Farm
As a farm and herbal supplement manufacturer, we adhere to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) mandated by the FDA. This is costly for us, requiring nearly the work of one full time employee. The FDA's role is to guarantee safety and honesty in food, drugs, and supplements. However, a 25% reduction in staffing is expected, which will delay inspections and allow unethical industry players to exploit the situation, ultimately harming consumers. These cuts highlight the pressing need for great personal ethical responsibility in healthcare and agriculture. We live in a capitalist system. If we are honest, we can admit that businesses will cut corners if they can. These agencies exist to because industry has demonstrated over and over that they cannot police themselves. The FDA was formed, after all, at a time when "healthcare products" were made with extracts of opium, cocaine, and other questionable ingredients and sold as cure-alls.
Leadership and Accountability in Healthcare Reform
The new leader of Health and Human Services is a passionate defender of the environment. I share many of his views with regard to ways in which we have defiled our planet in the name of healthcare. However, there is so much more nuance to understanding the issues that he talks about. Much of what he claims is not correlated with any scientific evidence, such as that the AIDS virus was a result of vaccine research. In fact, he argues that many things need more attention and research dollars- but what he apparently doesn't realize is that these issues- such as prevention of disease through healthier lifestyles and increased intake of fruits and vegetables- have been actively studied by many researchers already. We all know what creates healthy societies. But we live in an industry driven, capitalist framework that depends on a large percentage of people in low wage roles without time, money or resources to live the healthiest life. The reality is that these issues are well-known, supported by ample science, and acknowledged by those working in healthcare. But here’s the catch: you have to follow the money.
We cannot expect our food supply to improve while gutting USDA efforts to enhance farming resilience. We cannot safeguard human health or the environment with a 65% cut to the EPA’s budget. And we cannot demand that the FDA thoroughly vet pharmaceuticals, or that NIH continue advancing our understanding of disease, when their funding is slashed by as much as 50%.
What We Can Do
There are a lot of people with a lot of opinions that have never cared for a single patient and are now making decisions that impact so many of them.
Action is essential. Call your local representatives and demand accountability, emphasizing that budget cuts of this magnitude to Health and Human Services will likely:
- Increase healthcare costs as untreated individuals flood Emergency Rooms.
- Worsen chronic disease management, leading to preventable complications.
- Shut down rural and urban hospitals reliant on Medicaid funding.
- Compromise the safety of food, drugs, and supplements.
- Delay approval of new medications and medical devices.
- Halt advancements in understanding human health and disease.
- Cut essential support for violence prevention and maternal health.
- Impair programs like Head Start, delaying children’s cognitive and physical development.
- Lower the professional standards of those on the front lines of these efforts.
We all share common goals: freedom, self-determination, and health. Improving our institutions to work for us—not against us—is our collective responsibility. But it requires vigilance and accountability from every one of us.
Thank you for reading.
Kind regards, Linda