VERO BEACH — The Indian River County Hospital District has spent more than $356,000 so far during the pandemic to equip local health and educational organizations with necessary personal protective equipment and supplies.
Executive Director Ann Marie Suriano said the Hospital District, which is funded by taxpayers, has approved special funding requests from several organizations in need of medical and preventative equipment during the COVID-19 crisis.
The funding is above the usual allocations some of the organizations receive from the district to provide on-going health care services.
The Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast received $35,536.75 in May to cover the costs of surgical masks, and an additional $92,402.90 in August to cover personal protective equipment and supplies.
The VNA’s Mobile Health Unit, which is funded through the Hospital District, received $2,089.87 in June for signs and caution tape and an additional $4,524.90 for other supplies and personal protective equipment.
Whole Family Health Center in Vero Beach received $216,212.61 in August for personal protective equipment and other medical supplies. Costs to set-up a Telemed program for virtual visits between patients and physicians were also covered by the Hospital District.
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Most recently, the Gifford Youth Achievement Center asked the district to fund $5,699 for acrylic sneeze guards for the desks where children work during the center’s after-school program. The sneeze guards will help slow the spread of germs between children and staff during tutoring sessions.
Suriano said all of the special personal protective equipment requests will be paid for through the Hospital District’s reserves.
“Every year, we budget some money for reserves and we are covering these special requests as indigent care contingency items,” said Suriano.
After it became apparent in early spring that there would be a need for more personal protective equipment in the community, the Hospital District offered to cover some of the costs as a funder of last resort.
More: Aug. 28 COVID-19 on the Treasure Coast
They encouraged organizations to find other sources such as government grants or through the United Way, but offered to assist those organizations unable to secure the personal protective equipment funding through those sources.
The district will consider two more special requests when it meets again in September.
COVID-19 patients
- Hospital District Board Chairman Marybeth Cunningham said that as of Aug. 28, there were eight patients in-house at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, none in Intensive Care.
- That number is down from Aug. 19, when she reported there were 13 in-house patients, four of which were in Intensive Care.
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Indian River County Hospital District spends over $350,000 during pandemic to equip local groups with PPE - TCPalm
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