More than $9 million in federal funds is being allocated to 30 health facilities and county governments in Oregon. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, it’s to address COVID-19.
The money was allocated by the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, and is being distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Lane County Public Health is getting $570,000. Spokesman Jason Davis says community health leaders will decide how to use the money sometime later next week.
“We’re going to be working on how to make sure that we use that in the best way possible and it fortifies community centers and our ability meets the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”
Increased testing for COVID-19 is a possibility. White Bird Clinic’s executive coordinator Chris Hecht says they’re getting over $200,000 which they’ll use to test homeless clients.
“So that people like Doctor (Patrick) Luedtke in Lane County Public Health can have a good sense of what the entire community looks like in terms of infection.”
Hecht says he hopes Congress supports community health during the pandemic. Otherwise, the clinic projects losing $300,000 a month, and without funding the clinic simply can't exist.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.
