Texas officials deny hospitals' requests for hundreds of emergency staff to help with COVID surge
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/h...urge/287-a93342ab-29b4-47ee-acf0-2a70718ff670
FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas officials are now denying requests from hospitals for additional staffing as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across the state.
Hospitals in North Texas have requested 619 clinical support staff to help fill vacancies and emergency needs according to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council (NCTTRAC).
“This delta variant is wreaking havoc in North Texas,” Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council President Steve Love said. “We've got non-COVID patients. We have COVID patients and frankly, we've got a very fatigued workforce.”
State officials previously approved requests from regional hospital councils. The Department of State Health Services spent $5.39 billion funding requests for medical surge staffing, almost all of which reimbursed by FEMA, according to a spokesperson. At the peak of needs in February, the state was supporting 13,618 medical staff.
Now the state is denying those requests and telling hospitals to ask city and county leaders to use federal COVID relief funds, but local leaders had much of that money already accounted for. Dallas County has not approved its plan but is expected to use its $512 million on programs like broadband infrastructure, affordable housing, and business assistance.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said they plan to appeal to the state to ask them to reverse the decision.
"We had planned to use the money to increase broadband, for mental health care, for rental assistance and other programs. What the state is saying is ‘we’re not going to help you anymore with COVID through mask requirements or allowing hospitals and schools to do things to keep people safe," Jenkins said. “Their excuse to us is that they’re using their money to help other jurisdictions. Not real clear what those other jurisdictions are.”
Love says as the issue is worked out, hospitalizations continue to rise rapidly every day.
ahh the GOP. the pro-life party, but only when its convenient for them. just let them all die i guess. bunch of old farts! and while theyre at it, they may as well just work the health care employees around the clock to the point of sheer exhaustion where they have a mental breakdown and just up and quit, or even god forbid, commit suicide.
"DEATH PANELS! DEATH PANELS! OBAMA IS GONNA HAVE PENCIL PUSHERS AND GUBMINT OFFICIALS MAKE LIFE OR DEATH DECISIONS FOR YOUR GRANDPARENTS!!!"- Republicans in 2009
"FUCK MEDICAL SUPPORT! LET GRANNY DIE! THESE MAGA LOVIN GUBMINT OFFICIALS SAID SO! F YEAH! HER DEATH SHALL BE A GLORIOUS SACRIFICE TO THE STOCK GODS THAT SHALL MAKE US ALL PROSPEROUS!"- Republicans in 2021
but hey, its their voters who are dying while they treat the pandemic as a test of their ideology. even though a virus does not give a shit about anybodies political beliefs or affiliation.