BPHC Bulletin: Invitation to HRSA Health Center COVID-19 N95 Mask Program

Dear Health Center Leader:

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring our nation's underserved communities and those disproportionately affected by COVID-19 have equitable access to public health tools, like masks, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Last week, President Biden announced that the Administration will make available high-quality masks to the American public for free.

Earlier this week, HRSA invited a small number of health centers to indicate their interest in participating in HRSA’s new Health Center COVID-19 N95 Mask Program. As supply increases, HHS and HRSA plan to expand the program to all HRSA-supported health centers (including look-alikes).

In preparation, your health center is invited to indicate your interest in participating in the new HRSA Health Center COVID-19 N95 Mask Program. Health centers that meet HRSA’s criteria for this program and elect to participate will be eligible to receive N95 respirator masks from the HHS Strategic National Stockpile for free distribution to patients and people in their communities. These masks are approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Details

• For the initial phase, the minimum health center order is one pallet and the maximum order is four pallets. Pallets vary in size, containing between 2,000-7,000 N95 adult masks. Orders for the initial phase will only be shipped in full pallet units, but we anticipate being able to ship orders for partial pallets in the coming weeks. For optimal delivery, we strongly recommend a site with a loading dock and access to a forklift, pallet jack, or some other means of moving the pallet(s) from the truck.
• Initially, health centers may select only one site for delivery of N95 masks. In the invitation survey below, we ask you to provide the BPHC site ID for this site. This 14-character identifier (including hyphens) begins with “BPS-H80-” or “BPS-LAL-” (e.g., BPS-H80-XXXXXX, BPS-LAL-XXXXXX). We recommend you copy this identifier from Form 5B in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs). If you have access to a loading dock at a location that is not a site listed in Form 5B, you may request delivery there.
• Health centers will distribute N95 masks to patients and members of their community and will report to HRSA on the number of N95 masks they receive and distribute, consistent with guidance from HHS.
• More information on this program, including distribution guidance and reporting, will be available soon on HRSA's website.

Next Step

Please respond to this invitation by 6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 26.

Submit only one response per health center. Please respond even if your health center is unable or does not want to participate at this time. If we do not hear back from you by the deadline, we will assume that you cannot or do not wish to participate at this time but may be interested at some future point.

IMPORTANT: Health centers who received an earlier invitation, but have not received a welcome email with further details about mask delivery should respond to this survey as well.

Please note that mask distribution is contingent on the available supply and is not guaranteed. Health centers who indicate interest in participating in the program will receive further information on when and whether they may place an order for masks.

For more information, please review CDC mask resources and recommendations.

If you have questions, please submit them to Health Center Program Support. Select “HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Mask Program” on the “Health Center Program Questions” screen.

Thank you for all that you continue to do to serve your patients and communities.