$14 Million In FEMA Funds for Hospitals of the Mennonite Health System

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded nearly $14 million to the Mennonite General Hospital for repairs to its facilities in Aguas Buenas, Cayey, Cidra and Guayama. 

This figure is part of over $20 million for permanent projects that the agency has obligated to this nonprofit organization to address damage following Hurricane María.

“Hospitals are part of the essential services needed by communities before, during and after a disaster. The repairs will restore the infrastructure to its pre-hurricane condition, while addressing humidity problems and implementing mitigation measures to strengthen these buildings,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José G. Baquero.

The Mennonite Health System was founded in 1944 in Aibonito and today has nearly 700 physicians and about 70 volunteers who provide services to the organization's various programs throughout its chain of hospitals in Puerto Rico. 

The allocations for these four Mennonite hospitals seek to remediate mold problems, replace acoustic ceilings, grids and doors, and insulate ductwork and pipes, among other work. Over $1 million of these funds were allocated primarily to mitigate high winds damages and rain infiltration in the buildings.

Mennonite Health System Executive Director Ricardo Hernández emphasized that as a health system that provides first response services in emergency situations and disaster events, "it is a priority to ensure that our caring environment is adequate, safe and effective to meet the health needs that may arise. The continuity of services is crucial, mainly in the mountain area where our facilities are located, and where we receive over 300,000 visits a year”.

Hernández also emphasized that this allocation of funds is important "so that our facilities always remain in compliance with the regulations and quality standards that characterize us”.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, highlighted one of the projects being developed at Centro Médico in Cayey, for the acquisition and installation of a combined heat and power system that would provide backup electricity, as well as a facility to treat and store water. 

“At COR3, we are working closely with hospital institutions to provide them with systems that increase their resilience in the event of any emergency or disaster. Recently, we also announced other projects for the development of power generation and water storage systems. In this way, we are providing redundancy of services for patients, the sector that needs our immediate attention in the event of a disaster,” said Laboy Rivera.

To date, FEMA has obligated over $32 billion for over 10,900 Hurricane María recovery projects. Of these funds, over $7.4 billion is earmarked for repairing public buildings and equipment that provide a variety of services across the island.

For more information about Puerto Rico’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4339, fema.gov/disaster/4473 and recovery.pr. Follow us on our social media at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and Twitter @COR3pr.

Mennonite General Hospital, Cayey, Puerto Rico

CAYEY, Puerto Rico (March 1^st, 2024) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded nearly $14 million to the Mennonite General Hospital for repairs to its facilities in Aguas Buenas, Cayey, Cidra and Guayama. One of the projects being developed at Centro Médico in Cayey is for the acquisition and installation of a combined heat and power system that would provide backup electricity, as well as a facility to treat and store water. Photo Fema / Eliezer Hernández