AUGUST 11, 2021

Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Parson announced $30 million to support Missouri’s health care professionals and system. Governor Parson has directed the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS) to create and execute the contractual framework that will help mitigate current COVID-19 hospital strain. The effort will be funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“We’ve consistently heard from our health care partners that staffing is one of the biggest challenges we continue to face,” Governor Parson said. “Our health care workers have been on the frontlines since day one, and our goal is to provide continued support with this additional effort.”

More information on the contract and vendor will be made available once the contract is fully executed. At this time, the efforts will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• • Healthcare Staffing - Hospitals: Missouri will commit $15 million to provide health care staffing for all Missouri-licensed or CMS-certified critical access, acute care and long-term care hospitals. Funding will be provided on a firm, fixed staffing rate and will not exceed the cap designated to each tier.
    • Tier 1: 0-25 licensed or CMS-certified beds – $50,000 cap
    • Tier 2: 26-75 licensed or CMS-certified beds – $75,000 cap
    • Tier 3: 76-200 licensed or CMS-certified beds – $100,000 cap
    • Tier 4: 201-400 licensed or CMS-certified beds – $150,000 cap
    • Tier 5: 401+ licensed or CMS-certified beds – $200,000 cap

• • Health Care Staffing - State Managed Facilities: Governor Parson has authorized the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Veteran’s Commission, Missouri Department of Corrections and the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Division of Youth Services to join in on the contract, securing the agencies and commission the same fixed staffing rate to fill healthcare staffing needs. 

• • Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Stations: Missouri will commit another $15 million to establish five to eight strategically-located, state-funded MAB sites that will operate for 30 days each. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that can help your body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization – if administered to high-risk patients soon after diagnosis. Site selection will be made in conjunction with regional and local partners. The state estimates the sites will be able to treat up to 2,000 patients across the state.  

DHSS is working through an emergency contract process with a vendor that will support these efforts.

“DHSS stands ready and willing to take on this effort,” said DHSS Acting Director Robert Knodell. “Our health care system remains strong and focused on providing the best patient care possible. We believe this funding will provide relief in the system where it’s needed most.”

The Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1) continues to staff the state-run Monoclonal Antibody Centralized Infusion Center in Springfield, with support from Jordan Valley Community Health Center and CoxHealth. It has helped reduce the strain on hospitals by treating COVID-19 patients who otherwise would require treatment in a hospital setting. Through Tuesday, MO DMAT-1 staff had treated 319 patients at the infusion center since it opened on July 23.

This announcement does not impact the ongoing service agreement in place with Vizient, Inc. 

AUGUST 11, 2021

Jefferson City — In accordance with the Cole County Circuit Court's August 10 ruling, the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) will begin allowing individuals to apply for the MO HealthNet program under Article IV, Section 36(c) of the Missouri Constitution.

"My administration is always going to follow the law and yesterday's court order is no exception," Governor Mike Parson said. "The necessary funding to cover the health care costs of the expanded population remains the issue. We will continue to work with the General Assembly and DSS to chart a path forward to comply with the court order and keep the MO HealthNet program solvent." 

Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion, the Supreme Court of Missouri held the expansion amendment to be constitutional, and the trial court has ordered the state not to prohibit enrollment. The expansion amendment also legally requires the state to maximize federal funding. DSS will continue to work towards fulfilling the state's legal obligations under the Constitution and court order. 

The state is currently working through administrative hurdles, including adequate appropriations, staffing capacity, and computer software changes in order to begin enrolling the expanded population. Governor Parson included funding in his FY 22 budget proposal to the General Assembly to cover both the health care costs of the expanded population and for 75 additional employees to administer the expanded program.

The proposed funds were not included in the final FY 22 budget. As a result, DSS is limited to administering the expanded MO HealthNet program without sufficient staffing or appropriations. 

Missourians who believe they are eligible for MO HealthNet benefits under the expanded Medicaid eligibility may go to MyDSS.MO.Gov to apply. DSS will begin making eligibility determinations once MO HealthNet's software is updated to reflect the court order. In order to comply with the court order and until the necessary funds can be appropriated, DSS will reassign existing employees from their current assignments and responsibilities in order to receive and evaluate MO HealthNet applications.

Due to current staffing capacity and funding restraints, the required system update is anticipated to take up to 60 days. Qualifying health care costs that are incurred by eligible Missourians between the time they apply and when DSS is able to verify their eligibility may be reimbursed at a later date. 

AUGUST 6, 2021

Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri is tripling the number of mutual aid ambulances that provide long-haul patient transfers to help reduce the rising COVID-19 caseloads straining hospitals. Thirty ambulances and more than 60 trained personnel are scheduled to begin arriving in five regions of the state today, August 6, 2021. 

“The ambulance strike teams we positioned in Springfield have been extremely effective in helping save lives and ease the pressure on local hospitals,” Governor Parson said. “These 30 new ambulance teams triple our transport capacity and expand it to the entire state, as needed. Our health care professionals are performing heroically to save lives as the Delta variant dramatically increases hospital admissions. We will continue to support our health care heroes across the state.”    

The new ambulance strike teams, provided in response to a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, include 20 advanced life-support ambulances, five basic life-support ambulances, five specialty care ambulances, and required medical and support personnel. They are expected to begin transporting patients as early as Saturday. The teams are tasked with operating anywhere there is a critical need in Missouri through Sept. 5.

Ambulance strike teams will initially be positioned in Regions A (Kansas City area), B (northeast Missouri), D (southwest Missouri), G (south-central Missouri), and H (northwest Missouri) and have the ability to move as needed.  

Thirteen federally-provided life support ambulances in southwest Missouri will replace the 10 ambulances provided through the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management and an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). The Arkansas teams will depart for home today. Since they began working in Missouri, the 10 ambulances have logged more than 53,000 miles on 223 patient transports. Some of those transports required roundtrips of seven to nine hours or more.

“Delta is the most aggressive and transmissible variant of COVID-19, and it is more important than ever to take advantage of the highly effective vaccines,” Governor Parson said. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent serious illness from COVID-19. Vaccinations are free and available across the state, often with no appointment necessary, and vaccinated Missourians will have their shot at $10,000 cash or $10,000 toward an education saving account. Enter at mostopscovid.com/win.” 

The Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1) will continue to staff the state-run Monoclonal Antibody Centralized Infusion Center in Springfield. It reduces the strain on hospitals by treating COVID-19 patients who otherwise would require treatment in a hospital setting. Through Thursday, MO DMAT-1 staff had treated 243 patients at the infusion center since it opened on July 23. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that can help your body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization – if administered to high-risk patients soon after diagnosis.      

The southwest Missouri ambulance strike teams and monoclonal antibody infusion facility were part of a resource request made to the state of Missouri by Greene County on July 14.

JULY 2, 2021

Jefferson City — On Wednesday, June 30, 2021, Governor Mike Parson granted 18 pardons pursuant to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Official pardon documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and are being sent to the individuals.

To review the names of the individuals granted clemency, please click here. Governor Parson has instructed his legal team to continue reviewing clemency files and working to reduce the backlog inherited by his administration.

AUGUST 3, 2021

Jefferson City — On Friday, July 30, 2021, Governor Mike Parson granted 12 pardons and approved two commutations pursuant to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Official documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and are being sent to the individuals.

To review the names of the individuals granted clemency, please see attached. Governor Parson has instructed his legal team to continue reviewing clemency files and working to reduce the backlog inherited by his administration. 

• 7-30-2021 Pardons.pdf

JULY 30, 2021

Jefferson City — The State of Missouri’s effort to relieve the strain of COVID-19 on the Springfield region’s health care system continued today with more patients being treated at the state-supported Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Center, ambulance strike teams transporting additional COVID-19 patients out of the region, and planning efforts with local health care officials to provide additional support if necessary. 

On Thursday July 29, the advanced life-support ambulance strike teams transported an additional 20 patients to hospitals outside the Springfield area to reduce hospital censuses in the region. Through Thursday, the 10 ambulance teams had transported a total of 107 COVID-19 patients outside the area. The transports have included some roundtrips of seven to nine hours or more. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) arranged for the ambulance teams through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request, which was fulfilled by the State of Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.

On Thursday July 29, the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Center served a total of 25 additional patients. The infusion center had served a total of 113 patients, who previously would have required treatment in a hospital setting, since it opened on July 23. The infusion center is supported by the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1). It has served patients from around southwest Missouri, including Joplin, Branson, and Bolivar. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that help the body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization to high-risk patients. 

Springfield hospital leaders have called the strike teams “a life-line for us” and the infusion center “hugely helpful” because it has freed up as many as 10 beds a day for one hospital.

On Friday, state team members met with Springfield-Green County health care leaders and a team from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue to be proactive and plan for additional health care needs if conditions change in the region. The HHS team is providing technical assistance to help rapidly meet challenges posed by the Delta variant in the Springfield area. 

“Our state health and emergency management teams continue to work closely with Springfield-Greene County and federal partners to promote vaccination and meet critical health care needs,” Governor Parson said. “In recent weeks, we saw an increase in the number of vaccines requested by vaccinators, and it is encouraging to see a drop in the 7-day average for new COVID-19 cases in Greene County." 

On Thursday July 29, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and the Springfield-Greene County office of Emergency Management withdrew their request to the state for an Alternate Care Site. Here is a timeline of the actions SEMA and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services took to respond to the request.

• July 14, Springfield-Greene County requested five resources for staffing, supplies and equipment. It did not seek an alternate care site location.
  • Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Center – operational by July 23, 113 patients served through July 29
  • Ambulance Strike Teams – deployed on July 23, 107 transports through July 29
  • Hospital Medical Staffing Support – DHSS/SEMA are still involved in this process with local partners
  • Mobile COVID Testing Support – issue was addressed locally
  • Potential Support for an Alternate Care Site

• July 19, Springfield-Greene County modified the previous request to include a stand-alone Alternate Care Site. DHSS/SEMA and HHS were involved in multiple daily conversations to finalize clarification on the site’s capability as a step-down unit or as an acute care facility. Once a final determination was made, the state agreed to escalate the request to FEMA.
• July 22, SEMA submitted the federal resource request for an Alternate Care Site at one of the two sites identified locally: Q Hotel and Suites or Missouri State University's Kentwood Hall.
• July 23, SEMA submitted the request for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) planning and engineering support.
• July 24, SEMA added long term care facility Maranatha Village, as a primary location due to its potential for a faster conversion to an Alternate Care Site than locally identified sites.
• July 25, SEMA mission assigned the USACE to conduct site assessments.
• July 26, USACE conducted site assessments at Maranatha Village and Q Hotel and Suites, and a decision was made not to proceed with Missouri State University's Kentwood Hall. 
• July 28, SEMA submitted federal resource request seeking medical support staff to bridge the gap while DHSS worked on a contract. SEMA also submitted a request to activate an HHS technical assistance team.
• July 29, the HHS technical assistance team is mission assigned to the Springfield-Greene County area and USACE provided their site assessment recommendations and estimated cost.
• July 29, Springfield-Greene County withdrew the request for a stand-alone Alternate Care Site.
• July 30, the HHS team met with SEMA and Springfield-Greene County to discuss ongoing response efforts and ability to expand as needed.

"Vaccinations are a critical way we combat this disease, and we encourage anyone age 12 and up to get vaccinated to help protect themselves and those around them,” Governor Parson said.

JULY 30, 2021

Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Parson ordered U.S. and Missouri flags be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Greene and Webster Counties on Sunday August 1, 2021 in honor of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Special Agent James Dale “J.D.” Holdman Jr.

On Sunday, July 25, Special Agent Holdman died unexpectedly while working in his official capacity with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“For more than 32 years, Special Agent J.D. Holdman Jr. devoted his life to public safety while working at the local, state, and federal levels,” Governor Parson said. “Special Agent Holdman served as a deputy sheriff, fire investigator, battled the illegal drug trade, and was honored and respected by his colleagues for his outstanding work. He was a model public servant who made his state a safer place for children, the vulnerable, and all of us.”

Special Agent Holdman’s public safety career included working as a Washington County Deputy Sheriff, a State Highway Patrol Motor Vehicle Inspector, and a Division of Fire Safety Investigator. In 2003, he joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Special Agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was honored with the Guardian of Justice Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri in 2016, in recognition of his outstanding work domestically and internationally investigating child pornography and child sex abuse.

The flags will be held at half-staff on the day Special Agent Holdman is laid to rest. To view the proclamation, click here.

JULY 30, 2021

Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Parson announced an appointment to the Missouri Conservation Commission and filled two county office vacancies. 

Denise Dickens, of Crane, was appointed as the Stone County Clerk.

Ms. Dickens has served Stone County as a county employee for more than 30 years. Currently, she works as an Administrative Assistant in the Stone County Commissioners' Office. Over 17 years of her experience in Stone County government has been serving as Deputy County Clerk. Ms. Dickens is a member of the City of Crane Planning and Zoning Board, Southwest Missouri Solid Waste District N Council, and Ozark Area Community Action Corporation County Advisory and Area Board. 

Margy Eckelkamp, of Washington, was appointed to the Conservation Commission.

Ms. Eckelkamp is currently the Editor of The Scoop for Farm Journal. She serves as a mentor for AgLaunch and Missouri State University's Missouri Small Business Development Center. Ms. Eckelkamp was a member of the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women and previously served as Chair. She has earned the Mid America Crop Life Association's Ruth White Media Award and was selected as a Mizzou '39 recipient. Ms. Eckelkamp attended the University of Missouri–Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Science in agricultural journalism.

Shanda Schultz, of Lincoln, was appointed as the Benton County Circuit Clerk.

Ms. Schultz has served as the Deputy Clerk for Benton County Circuit Court since 2009. Ms. Schultz attended State Fair Community College where she obtained an Associates in Arts.

JULY 30, 2021

Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Parson granted 12 pardons and approved two commutations pursuant to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Official documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and are being sent to the individuals.

In the interest of privacy, the Governor's Office will not immediately release the names of the individuals granted clemency so that appropriate communications can be made to families. The information will be made available once families are notified.  

JULY 29, 2021

Jefferson City — The Springfield-Greene County Health Department and the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management today withdrew their request to the state of Missouri for an Alternate Care Site. While the state was working with local and federal partners to establish the site – as early as next week – local health and emergency management officials and Springfield hospitals believe current state efforts to boost health care capabilities are sufficient to meet existing needs.

“We appreciate the tremendous work our state health and emergency management teams have been doing. They are working closely with our Springfield-Greene County partners to meet critical health care needs,” Governor Parson said. “The Delta variant remains a very serious concern, and our response efforts continue across Missouri. The rapid setup of a state-operated infusion center and deployment of ambulance strike teams are relieving the strain on our health care system. We applaud these public servants for their tireless efforts and remind everyone to take COVID-19 seriously. Vaccinations are free, readily available, and the best way to combat this deadly disease.”    

COVID-19 statistics released today by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) show that while cases remain high, in the last seven days the number of new COVID-19 cases in Greene County has dropped by 24 percent compared to the previous seven days. There have been similar new case reductions in other parts of southwest Missouri region, but statewide COVID-19 cases continue to rise.    

Also, since July 19 when the request for an Alternate Care Site was made, the state has provided significant resources to relieve the strain on the health care system, including establishing a Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Center in Springfield and utilizing 10 life support ambulance strike teams to reduce the number of COVID-19 patients requiring care in area hospitals.

• Through Wednesday, July 28, the ambulance strike teams had transported 87 COVID-19 patients to hospitals outside the Springfield area to reduce hospital censuses in the region. Those transports covered almost 19,000 miles and included some roundtrips of seven to nine hours or more. SEMA arranged for the ambulance strike teams to support the area through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request, which was fulfilled by the State of Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
• The infusion center is being supported by the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1) and has served a total of 88 patients since it opened July 23, including 29 on Wednesday July 28, who previously would have required treatment in a hospital setting. It has served patients from around southwest Missouri, including Joplin, Branson, and Bolivar. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that help the body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization to high-risk patients. 

Springfield hospital leaders called the strike teams “a life-line for us” and the infusion center “hugely helpful” because it freed up about 10 beds a day for one hospital.

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) will continue to closely coordinate its efforts to fight COVID-19 with local health and emergency management officials in Greene County. This collaboration has helped provide a model to utilize as other areas of the state face challenges from the Delta variant.

“The work that our state team members have done – from site assessments in Springfield, planning efforts, contracting and logistical considerations – has been tremendously important in continuing to strengthen our ability to respond to COVID-19 or any other risks to the safety and wellbeing of our state,” SEMA Director Jim Remillard said.

“This has been a tremendous team effort in every sense of the term,” DHSS Acting Director Robert Knodell said. “Public servants at DHSS and SEMA who have been working almost nonstop to respond to COVID-19 since March 2020 have once again demonstrated their skill and commitment to fighting this highly adaptable disease. They’ve done a great job collaborating with their Springfield-Greene County counterparts to respond to critical health needs in an expedited and efficient manner.”