Sununu backs DHHS’ hospital COVID capacity plan

CONCORD, N.H. (WCAX) - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu Tuesday gave his support to a state Department of Health and Human Services request to improve hospital capacity around the state.

In a letter to the Fiscal Committee, Sununu said that with COVID hospitalizations at an all-time high and an “alarming” shortage of health care workers, the department is implementing a plan to free up more hospital beds.

Those steps include::

Allocating ARP funds to pay providers who take an individual while their Medicaid eligibility is pending approval.
Creating temporary acute care centers at ambulatory surgical centers and other appropriate providers.
Pay rehabilitation centers to accept nursing home residents waiting for a bed in a long-term care facility at the rehabilitation center rate.
Creating Strike Teams for long-term care staffing, to increase capacity at long-term care facilities that have empty unstaffed beds.

As of Tuesday, New Hampshire health officials reported 902 new coronavirus cases for a total of 161,244. There have been a total of 1,716 deaths.