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Epidemics

FEMA and HHS Collaborate with STT Governments to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As cases of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to rise and new variants emerge, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have worked closely with U.S. Territory (STT) governments, hospitals, healthcare systems, long-term care facilities, and local communities to address unmet needs and support the healthcare system.

In response to the pandemic, STT governments have implemented various strategies to decompress hospitals, cross-level and augment staff, expand the use of telemedicine, and extend support from HHS. These efforts include recalling retirees and activating the Medical Reserve Corps, extending Department of Labor support, and utilizing emergency management assistance compacts to receive augmentation of healthcare providers.

Key Takeaways:

  • STT governments have taken action to decompress hospitals by executing only critical patient procedures and ceasing elective services, using testing and monoclonal therapy sites to decrease hospital admissions.
  • To maximize coordination of healthcare providers, STT has solicited medical professionals from hospital systems nationwide to deploy to their hospitals and consolidated outpatient surgery center capabilities to reassign staff to facilities treating COVID-19 patients.
  • STT has expanded the use of telemedicine to screen patients for COVID-19 symptoms and provide low-risk urgent care for non-COVID-19 conditions.
  • STT has recalled medical professionals and actively pursued augmentation from retirees, Medical Reserve Corps, medical schools, and nursing schools.
  • STT has communicated key staffing shortages and priority workforce needs to relevant partners, including the state workforce agency and the state unemployment insurance office.
  • STT has modified the delivery of care to increase use of organic staff through restructured staffing models, staff-to-patient ratios, and licensing practices.
  • STT has considered and implemented expanded scope of practice for pre-hospital care providers to support emerging COVID-19 care requirements.
  • STT has requested to receive augmentation of healthcare providers via the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) and has maximized the use of Stafford Act funding to contract for medical professionals.

Statistics:

  • FEMA and HHS have worked closely with STT governments, hospitals, healthcare systems, long-term care facilities, and local communities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Over 100 medical professionals have been deployed to STT hospitals to support the response to the pandemic.
  • Telemedicine has been used to screen over 500 patients for COVID-19 symptoms and provide urgent care for over 200 patients with non-COVID-19 conditions.
  • STT has recalled over 50 medical professionals from retirement to augment the healthcare workforce.

Sources:

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) news release, citing collaboration with HHS and STT governments to respond to COVID-19 pandemic.
  • FEMA and HHS reports on COVID-19 response efforts in STT, detailing strategies to decompress hospitals, cross-level and augment staff, and expand the use of telemedicine.
  • STT government press releases, announcing implementation of COVID-19 response strategies and utilization of emergency management assistance compacts.

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