Two hospitals in area to receive millions in COVID-19 support funds
Two Metro East hospitals are among those across the state to receive federal funding to support COVID-19 related care.
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats from Illinois, said Illinois will receive a total of $739,971,747 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Provider Relief Fund. The money is going to support more than 60 hospitals serving areas treating a large number of COVID-19 patients.
HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon is set to receive $7.4 million.
Memorial Hospital in Belleville is slated to get $10.7 million.
“After a flawed process of distributing critical funds provided by Congress, I recently called Secretary Azar to push HHS to release this funding so hospitals in Illinois that are caring for a larger number of COVID-19 patients have the support they need on the frontlines of this pandemic,” Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to ensure our state has the resources it needs to get through this crisis – especially for Black and Brown communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”
“Our hospitals and health-care workers continue to be on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more funding is critical to ensure all Illinoisans have access to reliable care, especially in Black and Brown communities that have been disproportionately impacted,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in continuing our work to secure important federal funding to help Illinois make it through this public health crisis.”
A full list of hospitals in Illinois receiving funding is available here. To date, HHS has awarded more than $4 billion to hospitals and health providers across Illinois out of the Provider Relief Fund created by Congress through the CARES Act.
