Hospitals in Kansas will receive $50 million to provide premium pay or improve retention of nursing resources and support personnel, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.
The funding was approved by the SPARK Executive Committee, and will provide immediate support for Kansas hospitals to manage the current COVID-19 surge and address critical shortages in nurse staffing across the state, according to the announcement.
Qualified facilities may use the funding for either premium pay as defined in ARPA or for funding a program designed by the facility to improve the retention of nursing resources and support personnel, according to a spokesman. Premium pay may be distributed by the hospitals to frontline employees in the manner that they believe is most appropriate to ensure retention of critical resources and maintenance of staffed hospital beds.
“Many of our nurses are risking their lives every day to save Kansans from COVID-19 – and the immense strain on our hospitals is causing them to be exhausted and disheartened,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “They’re taking on extra shifts and caring for more patients than they can handle – and it’s our responsibility to give them the support they need.
“Frontline nurses need this funding to continue battling the COVID-19 surge here at home. I sincerely thank all Kansas frontline nurses and health care workers for all they do to protect our communities from the threat of COVID-19. I encourage all Kansans to do their part and get vaccinated immediately – for our health care workers, for our businesses, and for our families.”
The funding can provide frontline nurses and care workers with premium pay by increasing their hourly wages up to $13 per hour. Hospitals can apply for these state fiscal recovery funds and receive funding based on their number of nursing resources, and will have discretion over how to distribute premium pay.
Additionally, hospitals will be allowed to use the funding for alternative purposes to retain staff if it meets compliance with ARPA guidance. Funding in retention programs must be spent on pay and associated benefits of qualified employees. There are several reporting rules that will apply to the program.
COVID-19 cases continue to rise across Kansas with a daily average of 1,331 new cases from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7 – levels not seen since January 2021. On Sept. 10, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported 4,302 new COVID-19 cases since the last update two days prior. Hospitalizations continue to rise, with 612 hospitalized COVID patients as of September 10. This poses a challenge for hospitals to be able to provide surge support staffing and incentivize nurses to stay at their current pay rates.
More information will be provided to eligible Kansas hospitals in the coming days about how to access and properly allocate this funding to their nurses and frontline care workers.
Vaccines, tests available
A special vaccine event is planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Area Agency on Aging community room, 849 B N. 47th, (Indian Springs area), Kansas City, Kansas. The Unified Government Health Department is presenting the event with the Area Agency on Aging. Free COVID-19 vaccines, $50 gift cards for Wyandotte County residents who get vaccinated, while supplies last, and a free lunch will be available. For a free ride to the event, call 913-262-5190, with the code VACS, or contact UG transit at 913-573-8351.
Soccer Nation, 550 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will sponsor COVID testing and vaccinations from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. Appointments are not required. Pfizer vaccines will be available for ages 12 and up, with parents or guardians required for 12-18. Johnson and Johnson vaccine is available for those ages 18 and older. Also, PCR saliva testing kits will be available. Vibrant Health will be conducting the vaccinations.
The former Kmart building at 7836 State Ave., a Unified Government Health Department vaccination site, will be open for testing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and for free COVID-19 vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. There are incentives being offered for Wyandotte County residents, while supplies last. See WycoVaccines.org.
COVID-19 testing from WellHealth will be available beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th. The site is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
Mobile vaccines can be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311). For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.
COVID-19 vaccines and tests are available at other locations in Wyandotte County, including some pharmacies. For locations and availability, visit www.vaccines.gov.
Free vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public, and appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported 92 total COVID-19 patients on Friday, Sept. 10, a decrease of eight since Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Forty-six patients with the active virus were inpatients on Friday, a decrease of four since Thursday. Seven of the 46 were vaccinated. Eighteen patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of two since Thursday, and three of those were vaccinated. Nine patients were on ventilators, the same as Thursday. Forty-six other patients were still hospitalized from COVID, but were out of the acute infection phase, a decrease of four since Thursday.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 23,144 cases on Friday, Sept. 10, an increase of 68 cases since Thursday, Sept. 9, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative total of 341 deaths on Friday, an increase of one from Thursday.
On Wednesday, Sept. 8, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 47.37 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 40.52 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 58.3 percent.
The Mid-America Regional Council reported 204,916 cases on Friday in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,773 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 138.
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The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 387,152 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, Sept. 10, an increase of 4,302 since Wednesday, Sept. 8. There was a total of 5,766 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 73 since Sept. 8.
The KDHE reported 71,739 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Sept. 10, an increase of 515 since Sept. 8. Leavenworth County had 9,465 cases on Sept. 10, an increase of 92 since Sept. 8. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 70,832 cases on Sept. 10, an increase of 1,076 since Sept. 8.
On Friday, the KHDE reported 10,953 cumulative cases in Douglas County (the Lawrence area), an increase of 133 since Sept. 8. Riley County (the Manhattan area) had 7,304 cumulative cases, an increase of 68 since Sept. 8. Shawnee County (the Topeka area) had 23,218 cumulative cases, an increase of 342 cases since Sept. 8.
On Friday night, there were a cumulative 40,863,822 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with a cumulative 658,992 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Links
Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more testing sites.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
To view details about the extension of the mask order in KCK until Nov. 18, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/ug_extendsmaskmandate_nr_09102021.pdf.
To view the resolution extending the mask order, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/r-62-21.pdf.