WICHITA FALLS – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced today at Community Healthcare Center that various entities in the Wichita Falls region so far have been allocated $34,550,122 in federal coronavirus relief resources from Congress. While there he was joined by Wichita Falls Mayor Stephen Santellana to see firsthand how the CARES Act, a coronavirus relief bill he supported in March, is helping them combat the coronavirus pandemic in Wichita Falls. He was hosted by Allen Patterson, CEO of Community Healthcare Center, who provided a brief tour of the clinic and showed Sen. Cornyn how they have addressed the pandemic using federal resources from the CARES Act.
After the tour, Sen. Cornyn held a socially-distanced joint press conference with Mayor Santellana, Mr. Patterson, President & CEO Phyllis Cowling of the United Regional Health Care System, and President Dr. Suzanne Shipley of Midwestern State University, who each spoke to how they have used CARES Act funds to benefit the Wichita Falls community.
Thus far, Sen. Cornyn has worked to secure $35 million in funding for the Wichita Falls area, including:
- North Central Texas Area Community Health Care Center: $5,059,551
- Administered nearly 1,800 COVID tests
- Procured 3 – 6 months of PPE supplies
- Continued to pay the nearly 100 employees who would have otherwise been furloughed or laid off
- Moved forward with opening two local school-based clinics
- United Regional Health Care System: $12.5 million.
- Treated 172 COVID-19 patients and 584 more presumptive but ultimately negative patients
- Processed 11,802 COVID-19 tests, and built multiple tented testing sites
- Procured additional PPE
- Maintained payroll for all 2,200 hospital staff
- Midwestern State University (MSU): $4,629,148.
- Supported 3,429 students (62% of student body) with CARES Act Emergency Student Aid
- Acquired elevated cleaning equipment and PPE
- Reimbursed $1.7 million to students for housing and dining costs
- Purchased computer equipment, licenses, and technology for flexible learning
- City of Wichita Falls – Neighborhood Services Division: $733,264
- Served 77,262 targeted at-risk residents
- Assisted with rent, utility, and transportation needs
- Food for more than 74,000 food insecure individuals
- Sanitation supplies and services for domestic abuse shelters
- Wichita Falls Transit System – FallsRide: $4,552,789
- Wichita Falls Regional Airport: $1,225,460
- City of Wichita Falls: $5,849,910
- PPE, including gloves, masks, coveralls, sneeze guards, face shields
- Health supplies, including thermometers and sanitizer stations
- Protective equipment for firefighters
- Salaries of city employees
Participants included:
U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
Stephen Santellana, Mayor, City of Wichita Falls
Allen Patterson, CEO, Community Healthcare Center
Phyllis Cowling, President & CEO, United Regional Health Care System
Dr. Suzanne Shipley, President, Midwestern State University