Miami-Dade County – On July 21, 2020,County Commissioners unanimously adopted legislation sponsored by Vice Chairwoman Sosa, supporting additional federal and state emergency funding relief for the Public Health Trust, which manages the Jackson Health System, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Words cannot express how vital the Jackson Health System is to the wellbeing of our community,” said Vice Chairwoman Sosa. “It possesses the most hospital beds in Miami-Dade County, employs some of the best and brightest health care professionals anywhere in the world, and is at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. Through terribly difficult situations, the employees of Jackson have risen to the occasion and risked it all to save countless lives. Now more than ever, we must stand with Jackson and support it.”
The Public Health Trust is an agency of Miami-Dade County which governs and operates the Jackson Health System, one of the largest public hospital systems in the country. The system includes Jackson Memorial Hospital, Jackson North Medical Center, Jackson South Medical Center, and other facilities.
As of July 15, the Trust has safely discharged an excess of 1,400 COVID-19 patients and maintains approximately 416 COVID-19-positive patients across its hospital campuses. Despite receiving roughly $75 million of emergency federal aid, the system has exhausted these funds due in large part to the crisis caused by the pandemic. In order to address the COVID-19 health crisis, Jackson Health System has taken on additional and increasing costs related to staffing and personal protective equipment. Considering the impending financial difficulties, Vice Chairwoman Sosa’s legislation conveys the County Commission’s support for additional federal and state emergency funding relief for the Trust.
