Covid 19: Coronavirus State Hospital Improvement Program

The goal of the Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH) with regards to the Coronavirus State Hospital Improvement Program (Coronavirus SHIP) is to implement the program in the most efficient and effective manner possible. In addition, the KORH will assist the small rural hospitals in achieving the purpose and objectives of the grant. In FY20, the Coronavirus SHIP grant will provide 46 small rural hospitals in Kentucky funding towards their costs to, support hospitals to respond to prevent, prepare for and response to coronavirus. The Kentucky Office of Rural Health will provide these 46 small rural hospitals with program guidance and oversight related to the use of their funds: • Ensuring hospitals are safe for staff and patients - hospitals can purchase supplies for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, PPE, review/update/implement emergency operations plan, (re)train use of standard and contact precautions, review/adjust infection control plan, and other measures to improve safety for infection control • Detecting, preventing, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19 – support COVID19 Testing and laboratory costs, enhance telehealth, infrastructure, perform outreach and community-wide education on COVID-19 transmission, purchase and administer COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines when available, disseminate educational materials, enhance staffing/equipment/supplies for temporary testing areas, and other measures to aid in the detection, prevention, and diagnosis of COVID-19 • Maintaining hospital operations – Support personnel salaries in response to COVID-19 impacts, support transitions to increase access to care through telehealth, repurpose spaces/personnel to maintain or increase capacity, provide paid leave to exposed or vulnerable hospital staff, including those unable to work due to the public health emergency, hire/contract new providers or other personnel, other expense related to maintaining hospital operations during the COVID-19 breakout.