BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $3 million to the State of Connecticut to reimburse William W. Backus Hospital for the additional costs of operating safely and handling increased patient loads during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $3,018,814 FEMA Public Assistance grant will reimburse the 213-bed, nonprofit acute care community hospital in Norwich for purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies, and purchasing or leasing equipment including oximeters, patient monitors, telemetry devices, respirators, and defibrillators between March 2020 and August 2021.
The hospital also provided additional technicians and staff to support patient care; disseminated information through multiple media sources to provide public health warnings and guidance; and purchased facility cleaning and disinfection services and supplies.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist William W. Backus Hospital with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”
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 almost $593 million in Public Assistance grants to Connecticut to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.