(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – Out of the $99 million from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Commissioners provided over $18 million to public health and social services organizations who needed assistance with protecting employees and clients from COVID-19.
Early on, a lot of community health centers like GraceMed were feeling the impact of a dramatic decline in patient appointments because of COVID,” said Venus Lee, CEO of GraceMed. "The CARES funding we received was not only vital in terms of helping us equip our staff to work safely, but it also enabled us to retain staff until patients began to return in greater numbers."
There were 75 entities that received CARES Act funding to address needs including personnel, medical expenses, public health expenses, personal protective equipment, and food programs.
Over 70% of the grant funding was awarded to entities located in historically underserved areas of Sedgwick County.
Applications for funds opened in July 2020 and closed in November 2020. A team of finance experts evaluated all applications and submitted recommendations to Commissioners who reviewed and approved funding as appropriate.
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