Virtua Health Receiving $4.5M To Help With COVID Relief

Virtua Health has received more than $4.5 million in grants to help with its coronavirus response, according to federal officials.

The healthcare system received $4,579,444.20 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support its response to and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced.

It was part of $43,391,818.73 dedicated to helping hospitals respond to the pandemic across the state, the senators said. After Menendez's years-long push to reform how FEMA responds to disasters, last month the agency answered his call to eliminate the cost-sharing requirements for disaster grants.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched our state's resources thin, but with the elimination of local cost-sharing and this additional federal funding, our state will be able to more quickly recover from the impacts of this pandemic," Menendez said. "This additional funding will ensure our communities, health care providers, and first responders have the resources they need to protect the health and safety of all New Jerseyans."

"While we have made significant progress since New Jersey first experienced the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we still have more work to do" Booker said. "As we continue on the path to recovery, I'm proud to announce another round of federal grant money that will support our state's communities, hospitals, and frontline workers, providing them with the resources they need to continue the fight against the health crisis."

In May, Menendez led bipartisan legislation to eliminate cost-share payments required of states and communities included in federal disaster declarations in 2020. He also led bipartisan requests from both the New Jersey congressional delegation and his Senate colleagues calling on the president to completely eliminate the local cost-sharing for FEMA disaster grants. Sen. Booker joined him in those efforts.

The following grants were awarded:

• Borough of Paramus: $1,283,046.28
• Cooper University Hospital: $4,250,957.34
• N.J. Office of Emergency Management: $29,410,014.15
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: $2,487,183.18
• Saint Peter's University Hospital: $1,381,173.58
• Virtua: $4,579,444.20