FEMA Awards Almost $3.5M to Mass for COVID Vaccination Costs

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BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $3.5 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of providing vaccinations to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The $3,494,771 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the cost of contracting to operate a statewide network of mobile vaccination sites between June and December 2022.
 
The contractor operated at 285 locations around the state and provided 73,455 vaccinations to individuals who met certain eligibility criteria. Services provided included screening patients, administering the vaccine, vaccine storage compliance, documenting procedures, and personal protective equipment protocol compliance.
 
"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation's ongoing recovery.”
 
FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
 
So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.6 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
 

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Letter: Berkshire Health Systems Celebrates Employee Month

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

Every May, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) celebrates Employee Appreciation Month, recognizing the dedication of our talented team of 4,000-plus employees. United by a shared mission, vision, and set of values, our integrated system provides coordinated care for patients across Berkshire County. This month, I invite you all to join me in thanking the BHS team for their work to advance health and wellness for everyone in our community.

Each facility, department, and individual member of the BHS team plays a unique and valuable role in serving the health and well-being of our region. The team at BMC, our system's community teaching hospital, drives our mission forward by delivering advanced care across a full spectrum of medical specialties, leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and surgical facilities. The BMC team proudly serves our community's most advanced healthcare needs, providing everything from orthopedic surgery and cancer care to behavioral health, general surgery, and beyond. Our community teaching hospital receives crucial local support from our Critical Access Hospitals, Fairview Hospital and North Adams Regional Hospital, which offer 24-hour emergency departments and a range of inpatient and outpatient services. Our award-winning teams in North Adams and Great Barrington provide skilled, compassionate care, helping us keep care close to home for our North and South County patients.

The dedicated staff within our hospitals depend on the support of our outpatient services — including clinics, pharmacies, and home care services that deliver crucial screenings, treatments, and education needed to help patients live healthier lives. For instance, the staff at our newly opened Lenox Urgent Care and experienced nurses who answer the Nurse Line deliver convenient care and provide timely support for minor illnesses and injuries, especially when patients' primary care providers aren't immediately available. These are just two of the many outpatient teams that provide timely and routine care to support a healthier region.

No one component of this system could exist without the support and shared mission of our employees. On behalf of the entire BHS leadership team and Board of Trustees, please join us in celebrating these individuals. We are grateful for their unwavering commitment to serving our Berkshire County community.

Darlene Rodowicz
Pittsfield, Mass. 

 

 

 

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