The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is reminding rural hospitals and nursing facilities in Texas to apply for $128 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to help pay for critical staffing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Jan. 12.
“We’re encouraging health care providers who have worked so hard in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of this opportunity and apply for these funds which can help fill critical workforce shortages or pay for bonuses to retain employees,” said HHSC Chief Financial Officer Trey Wood.
HHSC is distributing approximately $90 million in direct grants to Texas nursing facilities with an active license as of Nov. 8, 2021 under the Nursing Facility COVID-19 in Healthcare Relief Grant (NF-CHRG) program. Each eligible facility will receive $75,000. The grant can be used for critical staffing needs, such as bonuses and employing contracted staff.
The agency is also distributing approximately $38 million or $250,000 to each eligible rural hospital under the Rural Hospital COVID-19 in Healthcare Relief Grant (RH-CHRG) program. The funds are discretionary and can be used by rural hospitals to support staffing, infrastructure, or revenue losses related to the pandemic.
HHSC is administering grant agreements to the legally authorized representatives of the approximately 1,200 eligible nursing facilities and approximately 150 eligible rural hospitals in January 2022. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Jan. 12. Six months after the award, grantees must submit documentation to HHSC regarding how they used the funds.
Funds for the grant programs were authorized as part of Senate Bill 8, 87th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 2021. The money comes from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (42 U.S.C. Section 802) established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. A117-2).
For more information about the Nursing Facility COVID-19 in Healthcare Relief Grant program and the Rural Hospital COVID-19 in Healthcare Relief Grant program, including lists of eligible Texas nursing facilities and rural hospitals, visit: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/business/grants/covid-19-healthcare-relief-grants.