Hospital systems were prepared for a recession, but they weren’t ready for a pandemic. As surgeries are canceled, business models are shifting and some of the hardest-hit hospitals may close, leaving patients with fewer options for care. “The disruption to hospital operations may ultimately leave Americans with less access to medical care, according to financial analysts, health economists and policy experts. Struggling hospitals may close or shut down unprofitable departments.”
Vice president of government affairs, Ali Santore, talks to the New York Times on how Providence has financially been impacted by the coronavirus. “We have been in this situation much longer, because of Seattle being on the forefront of the pandemic,” said Santore. “We canceled elective surgeries before there was a government order. We had to see so many patients who required more supplies, isolation and nursing. Our labor costs were through the roof.”
Read more on how the pandemic is effecting hospital systems like Providence.
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