On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was sending funds to two community health centers in her South Florida district to help with the coronavirus pandemic.
Mucarsel-Powell announced HHS was sending $265,249 to two community health centers.
“I’m pleased to see the federal funds I fought for start coming in to help our district, and this is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Mucarsel-Powell. “Our health providers like Community Health of South Florida and Rural Health Network are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and they are desperately in need of more supplies and resources to help their patients and expand drive-thru testing. I am continuing to fight for more funding for our community to address dangerously low supplies of personal protective equipment and tests, record-breaking unemployment claims, and struggling small- and medium-sized businesses. I also continue to call on the State of Florida to implement astatewide stay-at-home order to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep our health care system from being overwhelmed.”
“We are grateful for the grant award at this critical time,” said Brodes Hartley from Community Health of South Florida, Inc (CHI). “This will help support our ongoing efforts to provide drive through screening and testing at our Doris Ison Health Center in Miami and at our Marathon Health Center in the Keys. We are on the front lines of responding to this pandemic and we do so thanks to this federal funding.”
“The awarded funding will allow the health care center to obtain the needed supplies that our staff needs in order to continue to care for our patients in a safe environment,” said Rochelle Pearson, the CEO, of the Rural Health Network of Monroe County, Inc.. “Purchasing Test Kits, PPE , gloves and ,asks are essential and this grant will help the health care center to do so. Importantly, the healthcare center will be able to absorb the cost for testing to the patients as well as those who live in our community regardless of their inability to pay. This award will also allow the health care center to establish telehealth for medical and dental providers to ensure that care is uninterrupted for all of our patients during this time of isolation in order for care to be continued.”
Community Health of South Florida, Inc (CHI) will get $211,201 from HHS. Rural Health Network of Monroe County, Inc will get $54,048 from HHS. The funds come from a $8 billion package Congress passed at the start of March.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
