At their regular meeting on January 18, 2022, the Board of Commissioners of Greene County, adopted a resolution identifying Greene County General Hospital as non-public critical infrastructure sector employer eligible to receive a premium pay grant paid from Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. This grant responds to hospital and clinic employees performing essential work. The terms of the grant state that in response to employees working throughout 2020 and 2021 to protect the health and wellbeing of the residents of Greene County, each eligible employee will receive a one-time premium pay amount of $1,000 for full-time employees, $500 for part-time employees and $250 for temporary or as-needed employees (PRN). To be eligible for the premium pay in the mentioned amounts, the employee must have been employed by GCGH during all of calendar year 2021 and 2022 and be an employee of the hospital system at the time premium pay is determined and paid. The pay is subject to federal, state, and local income tax withholding and to FICA and Medicare contributions.
The total grant amount will be paid to GCGH. GCGH will identify eligible employees and premium pay amounts based on the Commissioner’s criteria and will distribute the pay to employees. Distribution of the grant is subject to the Greene County Council’s ratification of the amended local fiscal recovery plan and appropriation of the amount of the grant from Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The Commissioners will present the amended plan and appropriation request to the Council at the Council’s January 31, 2022, meeting.
Local Fiscal Recovery Funds used for this grant are part of the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act, which distributed recovery funds to the states and to local governments to respond to COVID-19 in various ways, including awarding premium pay to local government employees and to private employers determined to be critical infrastructure employers. The grant is not funded by local income tax or real property tax revenues.
The Commissioners announced the grant to GCGH’s administration during the GCGH public board meeting held on January 18, 2022. GCGH’s administration had not requested the funds. The premium pay grant was introduced to the hospital by the Commissioners to show appreciation to hospital employees’ continued dedication to the residents of Greene County.
GCGH administration and employees would like to thank the Greene County Commissioners for their recognition. We would also like to thank the residents of Greene County for continuing to support the hospital, clinics, and our employees throughout a difficult year in healthcare. It is our honor to serve this community.