Logo
May 9, 2020
#HeartsforHealthcareWorkers
Since the start of the COVID-19 emergency, we’ve seen people world over—and here in Maryland—find unique and heartwarming ways to show support and appreciation for hospital workers.

They’ve donated precious protective gear, delivered meals and goodies, and posted messages of thanks on your campuses and online for your health care heroes.

May 10-16 is National Hospital Week. Each year the hospital community salutes its workforce during this weeklong celebration. This year, it’s even more important to show doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians, dietary workers, environmental services staff, and others how much we—and all of Maryland—value the lifesaving work they do each day.

MHA, in coordination with your hospitals, is launching the #HeartsforHealthcareWorkers campaign, inviting family, friends, and neighbors to show thanks for a hospital worker in their lives and to invite others to do the same.

To help all of Maryland show their appreciation, we’ve created a toolkit with messaging, suggested graphics and details on how to participate— available here .

We’ll also release a special video featuring state leaders saying thanks to hospitals’ associates.

Please encourage all of Maryland to show their gratitude for our state’s health care heroes, who work to keep their communities healthy.

Happy Mother’s Day, too!
Bob Atlas
President & CEO
Remdesivir Distribution
MHA has heard concerns related to distribution of Remdesivir—the only drug proven to help coronavirus patients. Decisions regarding jurisdictions and hospitals to receive the drug along with quantities were made at the federal level by the Department of Health & Human Services. Gilead donated an unspecified number of doses to the government and HHS, through its contractor, AmerisourceBergen made decisions as to where they will go with FEMA in charge of distribution. MHA continues to question and work state and federal channels to understand distribution strategy, but no details are available at this time. For questions or concerns, Nicole Stallings .
State Releases Process for Bridge Teams at Skilled Nursing Facilities
The Maryland Department of Health finalized a process for bridge teams and released a protocol to guide how requests are processed through local health departments, sent to the Chesapeake Registry Program and then deployed. The process is aimed at assisting skilled nursing facilities that are experiencing a staffing crisis by assigning a bridge team for a maximum of four days. For question, contact Nicole Stallings .
Battelle Releases Direct Link to Request Decontamination Services
The nonprofit Battelle is offering a direct link for hospitals to register for its service to decontaminate compatible N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for use by health care workers— available here . Battelle transformed its decontaminating technology to decontaminate compatible PPE. They can decontaminate tens of thousands of masks daily in the Baltimore location. The State is reviewing the utilization of the Battelle system and are encouraging hospitals to use the resource. Additional resources and information are available here:


For more information or questions, contact Craig Savageau .
Maryland Hospitals: Safe. Ready. Waiting.
In response to the drop in emergency and other urgent patient volume at hospitals across the state, MHA is introducing a public education campaign to support your hospitals and health systems. The campaign aims to inform and educate state residents not to delay necessary medical care.

The messaging tells the public Maryland hospitals are safe, ready and waiting to address critical medical needs.

We also have:
Md. Hospitals Eligible For Funding Opportunities to Help with COVID-19 Response
Hospitals are eligible to receive federal and state funding through a variety of grant programs and direct payments. MHA compiled a list of funding opportunities Maryland hospitals are eligible for that do not require repayment. MHA will continue to update the field as other opportunities arise. For questions on how your hospital can access additional funding, contact Brett McCone .
Governor Hogan’s Legislative Actions
Gov. Larry Hogan announced his actions on bills passed during the 2020 legislative session on Thursday. He chose to allow the vast majority of bills, including all of the hospital field’s priorities, to go into law without his signature. The governor did veto several bills, including legislation mandating a bed registry program as well as legislation to fund Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board. He also vetoed several tax-related bills and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, also known as the Kirwan legislation. For a full list of the governor’s actions, click here . For questions or more information, contact Brian Frazee .
House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on COVID-19
On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held an in-person hearing on the federal government’s COVID-19 response and next steps on recovery. The full hearing is available here .
Witnesses included:
  • Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, and former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Dr. Caitlin Rivers, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Nominate a COVID-19 Hero
Congratulations to our members who were named The Daily Record’s 2020 Health Care Heroes , honoring organizations and individuals who have made an impact on the quality of health care within our state. MHA is proud to be the event partner for this year’s event, which is June 25 and been changed to a virtual celebration. A full list of winners can be found here .

In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, The Daily Record also has added a new category, for COVID-19 heroes. Nominations are being accepted now and can be submitted here . 
Want to receive your Toward Better Health
newsletter via text message?
Click here to sign up.
Maryland Hospital Association | www.mhaonline.org