The COVID-19 public health emergency has significantly burdened the health care workforce. Several states are taking actions to support health care staff:
- Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) allocated $12 million of COVID-19 CARES Act funds to bring travel nurses to Alabama hospitals;
- Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) and state lawmakers approved to use up to $50 million of federal CARES money to give extra pay to nurses working in Kansas hospitals; and
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the deployment of an additional 2,500 medical staff to support health care facilities in Texas, including hospitals and nursing homes, last month.
Military Support for Hospitals
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requested three, 20-person teams to support civilian health care workers treating COVID-19 patients in local hospitals in Alabama, Arkansas, and Idaho. These three teams join other teams in Mississippi and Louisiana, where COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing.
Visit the America’s Essential Hospitals coronavirus resource page for more information about the pandemic.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
