Sky Lakes receives COVID relief funds

Several healthcare providers in Klamath County will receive millions in federal COVID relief funding, the Herald and News reported today. The funding comes from a total of $118 million earmarked for COVID relief funding for rural health providers in Oregon, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in March.

Department of Health and Human Services data shows healthcare providers in Klamath Falls will receive a total of $7,688,916. Sky Lakes Medical Center will receive the lion’s share of the funding: $7,079,601.

“Sky Lakes is grateful for the COVID-19 relief funds that will help offset the financial hits we’ve taken over the last 20-plus months,” Paul Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Klamath Falls medical center, said in a statement to the newspaper. “The global pandemic cratered the finances of many rural U.S. hospitals, including Sky Lakes, as we rapidly ramped up for testing and made preparations to care for COVID-19 patients while also expending additional resources ensuring we could keep providers and staff safe. At the same time, we had to postpone many scheduled elective procedures and curtail clinic availability. Thanks to our very strong financial condition and the careful stewardship of our leaders, Sky Lakes continued to meet the healthcare needs of the people we serve without layoffs. However, over the past nearly two years of the pandemic we have postponed many critical investments in people, equipment, technology and facilities. The ARPA funds will help us resume plans to improve and grow services so we can do even more for our community.”

Other healthcare providers to receive funding include Mountain View Physical Therapy, Wholesome Family Medicine, Klamath Hospice, Transformations Wellness Center, Best Care Treatment Services, and Klamath County Fire District 1, which provides an ambulance service.