PORTLAND, Maine — The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday that it would be sending more than $2.7 million to the state of Maine to reimburse Maine Medical Center in Portland for the added costs of operating safely since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a release, FEMA said the $2,741,060 Public Assistance grant would reimburse the 637-bed teaching hospital, MaineHealth's flagship facility, "for steps taken to protect staff, patients, and the public between May 2021 and March 2022."
The hospital's COVID-related purchases include disinfectant supplies; personal protective equipment such as N95 respirator masks, safety glasses, shoe covers, gowns, and gloves; and ventilator circuits and filters for patient treatment.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Maine Medical Center with these costs,” FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich said in Tuesday's release. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”
So far, FEMA said it has provided almost $179 million in Public Assistance grants to Maine to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.