Hawaii Receives $48 Million Federal Fund To Fight Pandemic, Support Hospitals
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on Jan. 19 that they will provide Hawaii with a $47.9 million federal grant to support local hospitals fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we continue fighting the pandemic, it’s critical that our hospitals have the resources and staffing they need to provide high-quality care to families across Hawaii,” said Senator Brian Schatz.
The FEMA funds will be used to hire nearly 1,000 new temporary nurses, case managers, pharmacists, therapists and other medical staff for three months. Additional federal grant funding to support this temporary medical staff is expected in the coming months.
Congressman Ed Case said the FEMA award will also assist the Hawaii Emergency Agency to fund emergency protective measures as a result of the pandemic.
“This is great news for our severely overextended hospitals struggling with staffing shortages and healthcare workers closing in on two straight years of very difficult conditions as they continue to deal not just with record COVID-19 cases but other often-deferred medical needs,” Case said.
This funding announcement follows last month’s federal grant of more than $37 million under the American Rescue Plan for 391 healthcare providers to provide care across the state.
