Jimmy Johnson and Greg Reid with Covid Relief Funds for EMS
OKAMA Secures $5 Million in COVID Relief Funds for Oklahoma Ambulance Agencies
To Receive a Share of the Funds, Providers Must Act by 5:00 P.M. on 12/27/2020
OKAMA is pleased to announce that the State of Oklahoma has directed at least $5,000,000 to Oklahoma’s EMS industry. The distribution, received on December 22, 2020, comes from Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) funds allocated to Oklahoma by the federal government.
Licensed ambulance services that provide ground emergency medical transportation in Oklahoma will be eligible to receive funding equaling nearly $6,200 per licensed transport ambulance. Additional funds could be secured in the future.
OKAMA board members are making an effort to contact each licensed provider in the state about this funding opportunity. Providers must apply for funds by completing a simple form and must agree to spend the funds in a way that complies with federal requirements. The deadline for application is 5:00 P.M. on 12/27/2020
OKAMA expects to begin distributing funds by the second week of January 2021. By accepting funds, providers agree to make available documentation of expenses that prove qualification to receive these funds. OKAMA is confident that all licensed services have incurred expenses from March 1-December 30, 2020 related to one or more of the following:
- - Expense related to increased need for masks, gowns, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against potential exposures to COVID-19.
- - Expense for personnel who missed work due to COVID infection, isolation, or quarantine, but were paid while away.
- - Expense for personnel who covered the absence of sick, quarantined or isolated employees.
- - Expense for increased staffing to meet local requirements, expectations, or operational objectives.
- - Expense related to increased use of supplies (oxygen, drugs, or other non-PPE supplies) as patient transports showed increased acuity (sicker patients) and increased frequency.
- - Expenses related to increased per-item costs for PPE and other supplies as demand increased and available supplies decreased.
- - Expenses related increased costs of the decontamination of ambulances, equipment, personnel and stations.
- - Expense related to responding, providing care, and transporting an increased number of patients who had no or inadequate healthcare coverage due to loss of employment or work.
The list is not all-inclusive, but we believe that all of the experiences listed above will qualify under the government’s description of qualifying expenses. As with all grants of government funds, recipients should expect that expenditures to qualify are subject to review and audit.
Again, the deadline to apply for CARES funding of approximately $6,200 per licensed transport ambulance is 5:00 P.M. on 12/27/2020
To download applicable documents:
Click here LETTER TO DIRECTORS ANNOUNCING AWARD, 12-20-2020.docx
Click here:Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Guidance-for-State-Territorial-Local-and-Tribal-Governments.pdf
Click here:OKAMA CARES CLAIM FORM, FILLABLE, 12-2020.pdf
If you have any questions, please contact:
Greg Reid at 405-613-7443,
Vanessa Brewington at 580-334-4269 or
E-mail us at: okama.email@gmail.com.