State of Georgia Announces Increased Staffing for Health Care Facilities in Response to COVID-19

ATLANTA (April 13, 2020) – At a COVID-19 briefing today at the Georgia State Capitol, Governor Brian Kemp announced the State of Georgia’s plans to immediately augment staffing levels for health care facilities in various parts of the state to combat the COVID-19 public health emergency.

During his remarks, Governor Kemp noted the State has partnered with Jackson Healthcare, a Georgia company that is the parent of a portfolio of staffing, search and technology companies that assist health systems, hospitals and other health care facilities with workforce needs. As of today, the State is working with Jackson Healthcare through its subsidiary Healthcare Workforce Logistics to bring roughly 570 additional health care professionals to key health systems across the state, a number of whom are already in place.

“We are committed to helping ensure our heroic health care workers are given the staffing support necessary to win this fight,” said Governor Kemp. “It has been inspiring to witness the work being done by those on the frontline literally around the clock to combat COVID-19, and I join my fellow Georgians in expressing tremendous gratitude for their service. I want to thank our partners with the Georgia Department of Community Health for assisting us in this critical initiative.”

Much of the State’s early focus has been on the staffing needs of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, one of the state’s hardest hit health care systems, where 65 additional health care professionals have already been added to the hospital’s main campus, with approximately 80 more expected to join the team early next week. At Phoebe’s North campus, an additional 230 health care professionals are expected to be brought on board in the coming days and weeks. The state is also assisting Phoebe with standing up one of four temporary medical units across Georgia, with nearly 50 staff expected to be added to the Phoebe unit.

Other temporary medical units being strategically placed across the state are located at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Northeast Medical Center in Gainesville, and Navicent Health in Macon, across which roughly 125 new staff are expected to be added.

Additionally, nursing staff are being augmented at Palmyra Nursing Home in Albany and Pelham Parkway Nursing Home, and more than 20 employees are being deployed to Central State Hospital in Milledgeville for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The State will issue specific guidance on the process for health care facilities to request assistance, which will be evaluated based on need and available resources.