HHS office awards additional COVID-19 funding to support health systems

An office at the Department of Health and Human Services said last week it’s awarded $7.7 million so far for Wisconsin hospitals to help with their COVID-19 preparations and response.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response provided funding to support efforts by hospitals and other healthcare entities to train workers, expand telehealth, procure supplies and equipment and coordinate their response.

The office awarded $100 million in April nationwide to hospital associations to help with the response.

It announced another $250 million in funding for providers this week, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The money will also advance the mission of the National Special Pathogen System, a systems-based, national approach to treating infectious disease.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response provided $3.8 million to the Wisconsin Hospital Association in April, which it’s distributing to hospitals to help with pandemic-related expenses, including the purchase of personal protective equipment.

In May, the office provided $3.9 million in Hospital Preparedness Program Cooperative Agreement funds to the Department of Health Services.

Spokeswoman Elizabeth Goodsitt said $1.2 million was received earlier this year and went to each of the state’s Special Pathogen Treatment Center hospitals.

Children’s Wisconsin, Froedtert and UW Health each received $186,440, with the remainder of the budget being $29,931 in personnel expenses and $615,000 in contractual expenses to support partners throughout the state.

DHS is developing a plan for the remaining $2.7 million that’s due to the federal agency in a couple of weeks, Goodsitt said.

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