Two hospitals, three NJ counties receive $16.3M to cover COVID costs

U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, both Democrats from N.J., announced March 28 that $16.3 million in federal funding is being awarded in the Garden State for COVID-19-related expenses.

The funding to Centrastate Healthcare System; Holy Name Hospital; and Middlesex, Essex and Morris counties comes via the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

For each of the entities, the distribution of funds will go toward:

• Centrastate Healthcare System ($1.5 million) Covering costs incurred to provide force account material, supplies, rental equipment, and contracts required to meet the pandemic demand.
• Middlesex County ($2.2 million) Reimbursing costs used to utilize force account equipment for the outdoor setting and use of generators, light towers, message boards and trailers used as part of the operation of temporary vaccine and testing sites.
• Essex County (two batches of funding for $3.2 million and $1.1 million) Covering the cost of contracting 369 nurses that staffed mobile and stationary vaccination sites as well as to cover the cost of 20,000 PCR tests.
• Holy Name Medical Center ($7.1 million) Covering the cost of utilized contract services that provided additional staff for the increase in COVID-19 patient care at the facility.
• Morris County ($1.3 million) Covering the cost of vaccinations and vaccine support.

“Across the State of New Jersey, medical centers, hospitals and counties did everything they could to safely treat and test their patients and residents while protecting their staff during this public health crisis,” said Menendez in a press release. “Their commitment to providing the best care and testing possible for their community remained throughout the pandemic and this funding is critical in eliminating the potential financial burden they may face with the costs used to acquire life-saving equipment, hire staff to care for patients, and create separate units and outdoor settings.”

In the press release, Booker said that as we continue to emerge from the pandemic, we must ensure that health care providers are protected so they can continue to providing quality care to all New Jerseyans.

“Federal funding like this is another important step toward safeguarding the health and safety of all communities,” he said.

ICYMI

U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker recently announced that a number of Garden State schools will benefit from $18 million in federal funds, including Kean University – where the announcement was made. Read more, and see the full list of recipients, here.