FEMA awards nearly $100 million to Mass. to reimburse hospitals, schools for COVID staffing costs
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday announced nearly $100 million will be awarded to Massachusetts to reimburse the state and local hospitals for COVID staffing costs during the pandemic.
In the largest grant amount awarded Wednesday, FEMA will be sending more than $64 million to the state to reimburse it for contracting costs to provide COVID testing services in public schools during the pandemic, federal officials said in a statement.
The $64,144,440 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services for the cost of contracting to provide testing at schools and in public buildings in surrounding communities between February 2021 and June 2022.
The contractor also provided services including transportation for a total of 907,829 COVID-19 test specimens from approximately 2,400 public schools across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the laboratory for analysis.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs,” FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich said in a statement. “Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation’s ongoing recovery.”
FEMA will also be sending more than $20 million to the state to reimburse Southcoast Hospitals Group Inc. for contracting costs for additional staff to handle increased patient loads during the pandemic, officials said.
The $20,050,452 in Public Assistance grants will reimburse the non-profit, community-based health system that operates three hospitals in southeastern Massachusetts and facilities in Rhode Island for the cost of additional staff and paying existing staff to work additional hours, including overtime.
One grant of $16,493,014 will reimburse the health system for 71 workers to work 38,468 unbudgeted straight time hours and 1,930 overtime hours, and for 388 contracted workers who put in 170,614 hours, between January 2020 and July 2022, federal officials said.
A second grant of $3,557,438 will reimburse Southcoast Hospitals Group, Inc. for contracting with 13 companies to provide 189 healthcare service personnel who worked 41,831 hours while temporarily replacing full-time staff who were transferred from their departments to others to attend the influx of patients between July 2022 and December 2022, officials said.
FEMA will also send more than $4.6 million to the state to reimburse Mass General Brigham Inc. for the cost of contracting for additional staff to deal with increased patient loads during the pandemic, officials said.
The $4,615,690 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Boston-based integrated health care system – anchored by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital– for contracting for temporary staff at its facilities between March 2020 and February 2022, officials said.
During the pandemic, Mass General Brigham Inc. contracted for staff to work in inpatient units, intensive care units, emergency departments, and its respiratory clinic.
In addition, FEMA will be sending more than $8.1 million to the state to reimburse it for the cost of contracting for warehouse space to store and distribute medical supplies and other materials during the pandemic.
The $8,127,651 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the cost of contracting for warehouse space to receive, stage, and store face masks, personal protective equipment, supplies, and equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile between July 2022 and May 2023, officials said.
So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.7 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.
More more information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program, visit this website.
To learn more about the COVID-19 response in Massachusetts, visit here.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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