On Thursday, National County Health Day, the Franklin County Commissioners detailed the ways that they continue to lead in our community’s response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, including by funding a 1,000-bed overflow surge hospital facility at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The facility is to be cooperatively operated by the region’s three large adult hospital systems, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel, and Ohio Health. The hospitals will share some operations where practical, such as intake and security, and each will independently run a section of the facility, using cubicles on the convention floor for patients, and meeting rooms as break rooms, pharmacies, and locker rooms. Facilities and utilities, food service, and janitorial services will be provided by the convention center, and the whole operation was put together in cooperation with state and local EMA and the Ohio National Guard under a $5 million contract from the commissioners.
“This is a big investment,” said Board of Commissioners President John O’Grady. “We’re facing an unprecedented challenge and our community is rising to that challenge. The residents of Franklin County are our responsibility, and we’re glad to be able to make sure that they’ll have the care they need if they end up getting sick.”
Earlier this week, the commissioners passed five resolutions in support of residents and businesses that are struggling under the public health crisis and its restrictions. One of the resolutions provided a $300,000 grant with Rev1 Ventures to provide support to 20 local businesses. Three of them fund new and expanded homeless shelters with $1,095,590 going to the Community Shelter Board and $250,000 to the YMCA to slow the spread of COVID-19 by allowing residents in shelters to spread out and infected people to quarantine in contracted hotels. A further $125,000 was provided the to Columbus Urban League to provide counseling, technical assistance, and financial resources education to small woman- and minority-owned businesses.
“People and businesses throughout our community are struggling,” said Commissioner Marilyn Brown. “We know that we will get through this, but our residents need help right now. I’m glad that we’re in a position to be able to assist, and expect that considerably more support will be required as we work through the crisis.”
The commissioners have been quick to respond to community needs throughout the coronavirus episode. In the first weeks of the pandemic, they closed county facilities to all but essential business, and passed a number of resolutions getting support to the community right away, including providing a million dollars in funding for small business relief, and workforce training and direct funds for employees who find themselves out of work, $750,000 in grants to the United Way, Urban League, and the Ohio Hispanic Coalition, and waiving requirements to receive home-delivered meals or other services from the county’s Office on Aging, as well as contracting for an additional $250,000 in such meals. They also allocated $1,500,000 for direct assistance to struggling families, and have devoted a large section of their website to Covid-19 information, lists of changes to county services, including resources in multiple languages, and are holding daily public briefings via video or telephone conference.
“Franklin County is growing and thriving, but some of our residents were struggling long before this pandemic,” said Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce. “Anyone who was living paycheck-to-paycheck before this epidemic, anyone who has lost their job or has been laid-off because of this pandemic, and anyone whose small business is struggling through this pandemic may all suddenly be finding themselves without the resources their families and businesses need. We are hoping that our efforts can help mitigate the short-term struggles of our residents and prevent any long-term devastation.”
For 2019, the commissioners were recognized with a gold award by the Healthy Business Council of Ohio, and also as the healthiest large employer in Central Ohio. Across the country, America’s 3,069 counties operate 1,943 local health departments, including in Franklin County, and run more than 900 hospitals.
“County administration has implemented many COVID-19 health emergency organizational changes, such as beginning an extensive telework policy for employees and reducing daily building occupancy in social services agencies to continue to provide service while promoting proper social distancing, and has distributed various personal protective equipment to employees,” said County Administrator Kenneth N. Wilson.
For more information about the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commissioners’ community support, or information about the commissioners’ daily briefings and weekly general session meetings, visit
commissioners.franklincountyohio.gov.