IDAHO — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday that hospitals and free-standing primary and urgent care clinics in Idaho can apply for COVID-19 funding. The money was made available last week by Gov. Brad Little to address the current situation in the state.
For hospitals, the funding will be used to address hospital constraints and needs related to the increased of COVID-19 patients. Hospitals will get $1,000 per licensed bed, according to a news release from IDHW.
The money will be used for the following uses:
- Relieving staffing shortages, including retention bonuses
- Hiring new staff at higher rates of pay
- Hiring temporary staff
- Paying overtime hours
- Paying for lodging and support for traveling healthcare staff
- Providing staff training
- Purchasing temporary physical space support and/or establishing locations for the administration of monoclonal antibodies
- Other recruitment/retention needs
IDHW says grant funding will be awarded to free-standing primary and urgent care clinics to provide financial support that addresses existing constraints and needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding may be used for the same uses as the hospitals.
A total of $1 million will be available to the free-standing primary and urgent care clinics. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
IDHW says the funding is determined by the number of patients seen in a year as follows:
| Size | Patients Seen Annually | Available Funding per Application |
| Small | Less than 2,500 patients | $100,000 |
| Medium | 2,500-10,000 patients | $250,000 |
| Large | More than 10,000 patients | $400,000 |
IDHW says both of these opportunities are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds (Fiscal Recovery Funds) – CDFA #21.07.
