The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $5.2 million to the State of Maine to reimburse Maine Medical Center in Portland for various costs incurred responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $5,186,747 in Public Assistance grants will reimburse the 637-bed teaching hospital and flagship facility for MaineHealth for costs associated with setting up testing centers, purchasing supplies, and other steps to prevent the spread of the virus between March 2020 and June 2022.
Two grants of $2,190,490 and $1,304,814 will reimburse the hospital for the cost of setting up testing centers in Portland, Scarborough, Falmouth, and Westbrook, including contracting for administrative staff and screening personnel; renting tents and trailers; and purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE).
The grants also paid for the cost of transporting COVID-19 supplies; purchasing 750 COVID-19 PCR testing kits; and contracting for testing site set-up, security, and utility services.
A third grant of 1,691,443 will reimburse Maine Medical Center for steps taken to prevent the spread of the virus, including purchasing to-go bags for use by food services department to package patients’ meals; purchasing PPE such as masks, gloves, safety glasses, scrubs, and gowns; and contracting for professional cleaning services to sanitize common areas.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Maine Medical Center 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 almost $332 million in Public Assistance grants to Maine to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.