PPE Grant Opportunity Available
A new grant – with a quickly approaching deadline to apply – is now available for medical facilities and other providers to provide personal protective equipment to their staffs and patients.
The program is open to these categories of providers:
- Long-term care facilities, including nursing facilities, adult foster care, homes for the aged, and assisted-living facilities
- Dialysis facilities
- Outpatient facilities collecting diagnostic respiratory specimens
- Dental facilities
- Other outpatient facilities, including primary care, urgent care, specialty clinics, and any other clinician who is not attached to a hospital
- Home health care, including home care provider agencies
- Long-term acute-care hospitals
- Emergency medical service providers
- Pharmacies
- Funeral directors and mortuary services
- Residential congregate facilities, including child care institutions and supervised independent living
Agencies with headquarters outside of Michigan may apply, but can use the funds only for employees associated with facilities located in Michigan.
The deadline to apply is next Tuesday, Sept. 8. The online application form is available here: https://is.gd/COVID_PPEApplication. A frequently asked questions document with more information is available at that web page.
Agencies can use the grant funds to reimburse PPE purchases from medical supplies that include: surgical masks, filtering face piece respirators, gloves, gowns, and eye protection. The funds must be used for PPE expenditures between March 1 and Dec. 30, 2020. Applicants are required to submit proof of purchase and delivery, showing actual expenses incurred, before receiving reimbursement.
The $25 million grant program was announced by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and is funded through the federal CARES Act.
Neighborhood Testing Site in Albion
Albion residents have additional access to COVID-19 testing as a result of a Neighborhood Testing Site set up by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as part of a state wide initiative. The testing coincides with the efforts that Albion College has undertaken for its students, faculty, and staff. Starting Friday, Sept. 4, testing will be offered at Albion College's Washington Gardner Auditorium at 401 E Michigan Ave., Albion. Testing is available Mondays from Noon-7 p.m., Wednesdays from Noon-7 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Testing is free and interested individuals can register online beforehand at Michigan.gov/coronavirustest. Walk-in appointments are available. Using online check-in, individuals can wait safely in a car or at a safe social distance from the testing site until the appointment. After the test takes place, results can be obtained via phone, email, or by logging into the results portal.
Locations for this statewide initiative were chosen to address racial and ethnic disparities as identified by the Racial Disparities Task Force. Albion was the location of a mass testing event in late May, also in pursuit of access in underserved communities.
