Aguilar Announces Over $47 Million in Coronavirus Relief Funds for Inland Empire Health Care Providers
Rep. Pete Aguilar announced over $47 million for Inland Empire health care providers for their response to the coronavirus. The funding will be distributed to over 270 care providers in the 31st Congressional District and includes $2,451,046 for Redlands Community Hospital, $5,502,006 for the Community Hospital of San Bernardino, $7,385,649 for St. Bernardine Medical Center, $14,787,945 for Loma Linda University Medical Center, and $50,287 for Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. The funding comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and was appropriated by the CARES Act and by the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, legislation passed by Congress to help Americans respond to and navigate the coronavirus crisis. The funding is intended to help providers administer COVID-19 related care and cover costs incurred by the spread of the virus.
“My top priority is ensuring our region has access to the resources that will allow us to make it through this crisis. By providing this funding, the legislation passed in Congress will ensure our health care providers can keep their doors open and patients in the Inland Empire have access to high quality care.” said Rep. Aguilar.
“Hospitals have focused on keeping our communities safe and took on significant additional costs to prepare for and manage through the COVID-19 public health emergency,” said Julie Sprengel, CEO of the Southwest Division for Dignity Health, which operates the Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center. “As we now move toward recovery and reopening, continuing to support hospitals will be critical to our ability to care for our patients. We are grateful to Congressman Aguilar and his colleagues in Congress for approving financial support to hospitals and look forward to continuing to work with policymakers to ensure hospitals are able to sustain our mission of providing care when our communities need us the most.”
“We’re grateful for this funding that will help us treat patients in need in the Inland Empire,” said Richard H. Hart, M.D., Dr.PH, president of Loma Linda University Health. “We appreciate the recognition for our commitment to providing advanced levels of care for people in this community.”
Rep. Aguilar serves as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for allocating federal funding to agencies such as HRSA.
