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.

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