Kona Community Hospital, Straub Medical Center Receive Nearly $12 Million In New Federal Relief Funding To Support Care For Vulnerable Patients

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Kona Community Hospital on Hawai‘i Island and Straub Medical Center on Oahu received a combined $11,927,758 in new federal funding to support health care services for vulnerable and low-income individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two medical centers serve as safety net hospitals, providing care to individuals regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay for health care services.

“Kona Community Hospital and Straub Medical Center play an essential role in providing health care to our most vulnerable residents on the Big Island and Oahu,” said Senator Schatz, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “With hospitals on the front lines of this global health crisis, this federal funding will provide important resources to make sure they remain operational so that everyone can get the care they need regardless of their ability to pay.”

The new funding is part of the $175 billion Provider Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.  Hospitals that serve a disproportionately high number of Medicaid patients or provide large amounts of uncompensated care are eligible for this safety net allocation from the Provider Relief Fund.

In addition to this funding, Hawai‘i health providers have received more than $200 million in federal grants to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, including funding to acquire PPE, cover testing and treatment, support rural hospitals, and other response efforts.

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