W.Va. to set up reimbursement program for hospitals, nursing homes handling COVID surge

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — UPDATED, 12:47 p.m. 9/20/21

Gov. Jim Justice said hospitals and nursing homes in West Virginia handling the surge of coronavirus are at a crisis stage or nearing it, and state officials are setting up a reimbursement program in case those facilities need to shift staff to respond.

“We will have 24-7, constant communications with all of our hospitals and nursing homes,” Justice said during a coronavirus news conference Monday. “We want to know how we can help with staffing issues and financial issues and how we can get you through this window.”

Following a meeting Justice had before the news conference with his pandemic leadership team, he announced an effort called Saving Our Care, which will be a reimbursement program that will help hospitals and nursing homes if they have to shift staff to respond to COVID or hire contract workers to fill staff shortages.

“Our hospitals are on the verge of being overrun. By overrun, I mean we could awaken to a situation to where we are rationing care,” the governor said.

News about Justice’s announcement to create the reimbursement program and a task force to work with hospitals and nursing homes during the COVID surge was applauded by the West Virginia Hospital Association.

“On behalf of the hospitals in West Virginia and the 49,000 employees who have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, we applaud the actions taken today by Governor Justice and the COVID-19 pandemic leadership team to create a task force to provide much needed support to hospitals and long-term care facilities,” said Jim Kaufman, president and chief executive officer of the association.

Kaufman said the decision announced by the governor “will help our hospitals manage the financial challenges of responding to the pandemic, including the escalating expenses and critical staffing needs they are currently experiencing.”

Justice said suspending elective surgeries again would be too financially devastating to hospitals. He said, however, if hospitals decide to move staffing from day surgeries to help handle staffing shortages with COVID patients, the reimbursement program would help the facilities weather the financial burden.

Money is available for the reimbursement program through pandemic funding the state has received. Justice said if the money runs out, he is certain the West Virginia Legislature could be called into session and would allocate more funds. The governor said the reimbursement could take place three to four weeks or as long as six to eight weeks.

The governor announced more grim coronavirus news, with 54 more deaths since his last briefing. Among the deaths were a 23-year-old from Kanawha County and a 37-year-old from Taylor County. West Virginia’s death total is now at 3,424.

Justice said, however, that there are signs the state could be at its peak with coronavirus. Active cases have dropped the past several days from a high of more than 29,000 to 21,490. Hospitalizations have dropped slightly and now stand at 955, with 292 in intensive care and 164 on a ventilator.

The governor warned that if West Virginia follows the trend that has been occurring elsewhere in the country, the active cases and number of new cases might continue to decline and recoveries go up, but the number of hospitalizations and deaths could continue to “trail” and still be a serious issue.

The key to controlling the coronavirus, the governor said, is getting more people vaccinated. Justice mentioned that the vast number of hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus are occurring among those who were not vaccinated.

“Honestly, if you’re vaccinated the chances of you dying are . . . You are almost as well protected as walking around on the Capitol grounds as a meteorite hitting you,” Justice said.

Meanwhile, Rob Alsop, an administrator at West Virginia University, appeared at the news conference to talk about the vaccination rate success at the Morgantown campus. He said 78% of students are vaccinated and about 74% of faculty and staff.

ORIGINAL STORY

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice will join other state leaders Monday to provide an update on the coronavirus pandemic.

The news conference, which is scheduled for noon, will be livestreamed below once it begins.

The governor is scheduled to host a breakfast roundtable summit with his leadership team prior to the news conference, according to a news release.

The team is expected to discuss and decide ways to keep West Virginians safe and protect the stability of the state’s hospital systems.