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I'm sure this is a problem. My wife went for chemo this week at a large regional medical center. The parking lots were less than half full. The lab, which typically is full of people having medical tests, was almost full. All this because of a very few cases of CV-19 in our area. Its crazy. I heard of one guy who needed surgery on his hernia but was told it was nonessential. Another woman, couldn't get her artificial knee fixed. She can't hardly walk. This is pure lunacy.
Dentists can fix teeth, Doctors can't treat patients, and thousands are laid off because the virus is spreading 200 miles away?
No, it's not lunacy. Performing non-emergent procedures uses up protective equipment that hospitals can't replace. It potentially exposes vulnerable people to COVID-19 infection. It potentially exposes the medical staff to undiagnosed COVID-19 infections, which can cause them to become ill right before they may be most needed. And some non-emergent procedures can tie up hospital beds for extended periods of time, beds which may soon be needed for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Nobody wants to stop non-emergent procedures, certainly not the medical staff who make their livings from them. But right now we don't have much choice. From a medical perspective, it's the right thing to do.
Most revenue coming from surgeries? Hmmm, explains a lot. Another whole subject though.
Actually it explains nothing, at least to those familiar with development of modern hospitals.
Main purpose of hospitals is to provide a central place for surgeries, skilled nursing and medical care in part to make best use of certain resources including trained nurses and doctors.
From early 1900's until 1940's the wealthy and anyone else who could afford it avoided hospitals. Rather everything was brought to their homes (nurses, doctors, medical equipment, etc...) and even in some extreme cases operations were done in homes as well. One British monarch had a room at Buckingham Palace converted into an OR so he wouldn't have to go to a hospital.
One reason so many hospitals are in bad financial situations is that over past few decades they have lost large parts of their once bread and butter. Various surgeries, treatments, tests, and medical procedures once wholly done in hospital are now performed at home or in outpatient settings.
Late as the 1980's or 1990's even a simple elective surgery had impatient stay of three, four or more days. People checked in one or two days before procedure for tests. Day/night before there was OR prep work, then came day of operation. After operation several hours in post-op/recovery, then back to pt's room for another day or more of "rest", then finally discharged. That just doesn't happen any longer....
Hip and knee replacements aren’t necessary, but they sure make life better for a lot of people. We aren’t even doing cancer surgeries.
We're still doing some cancer surgeries, but that's about it. And I don't know how much longer we'll be doing that. My area is expected to peak in about two weeks; fingers crossed that after that point we can start performing less-urgent surgeries again. (My main concern is that, like so many other places, we're starting to run short on some PPE and aren't having much luck with reordering it. It's tough to justify performing non-emergent procedures when you're short on masks, gloves, and gowns!)
Yep that's all we have been hearing for the past weeks. So why the lay offs?
Healthcare as usual has been suspended.
Most states recommend putting all non- urgent surgery on hold and most hospital systems have done so.
Outpatient surgery is a huge part of most hospital systems. Substantially fewer surgeries means fewer scheduling, pre admission insurance validation, billing, recovery and so on.
Car Accidents and violence has declined in most areas.
Hospitals have suspended most community outreach programs for the time being. Many hospital systems operate adjacent health clubs which have been closed. Fewer employees means a reduced need for in hospital meal service.
Healthcare professionals are not a fungible commodity.
The large bulk of medical and surgical care can be put off. As a recently retired office internist, most patients I saw day to day can come in for their visit next week or month. Many in 3 months, some next year if stable and doing well. Not so much unnecessary, but not urgent. Routine medical follow ups are useful and necessary with standard medical care.
Just had a 3.5 minute follow-up telemedicine appointment with Ortho MD. I fractured my knee a few months ago and it’s a slow heal with a brace. He asked the right questions rat- a- tat-tat. It was swell and did not pose an incremental risk exposure for either of us.
Most states recommend putting all non- urgent surgery on hold and most hospital systems have done so.
Outpatient surgery is a huge part of most hospital systems. Substantially fewer surgeries means fewer scheduling, pre admission insurance validation, billing, recovery and so on.
Car Accidents and violence has declined in most areas.
Hospitals have suspended most community outreach programs for the time being. Many hospital systems operate adjacent health clubs which have been closed. Fewer employees means a reduced need for in hospital meal service.
Healthcare professionals are not a fungible commodity.
Yes. And my state for example, there are 3,600 active cases state wide. Dont know how many are hospitalized. My county 57 active cases, again I'm sure only a small portion are hospitalized. The hospital laid off 400. That's just the one hospital.
Four hundred + people now with no income for 57 people, ? hospitalizations, no fatalities. And they hysteria over lack of supplies continues.
Yes. And my state for example, there are 3,600 active cases state wide. Dont know how many are hospitalized. My county 57 active cases, again I'm sure only a small portion are hospitalized. The hospital laid off 400. That's just the one hospital.
Four hundred + people now with no income for 57 people, ? hospitalizations, no fatalities. And they hysteria over lack of supplies continues.
Your local surge may be happening in the next few weeks, and will be very telling. For good or bad. If good, meaning a meager surge, then some areas are bound to at least look into a normalization schedule. Like where I live.
We're still doing some cancer surgeries, but that's about it. And I don't know how much longer we'll be doing that. My area is expected to peak in about two weeks; fingers crossed that after that point we can start performing less-urgent surgeries again. (My main concern is that, like so many other places, we're starting to run short on some PPE and aren't having much luck with reordering it. It's tough to justify performing non-emergent procedures when you're short on masks, gloves, and gowns!)
We are allowing surgeries on fast growing or metastasizing tumors, but it has to be approved by the Chief of Surgery. I was talking to a urologist who told me he has a buildup of 9 prostate patients who have all been denied.
Personally, I would kill to do a prostate surgery right now. Or a brain surgery, or any other nice long surgery that would keep me out of the ICU for most of my shift. The surgeries I used to hate doing? I will never complain about doing them again, after this.
I had to see my doctor last week in order to get my pain medicine prescription refilled. Because I had a cough, I had to enter through a side door and be screened, then wear a mask. The lobby, which is usually fairly full, was totally empty. It was eerie. While the nurse was taking my vitals, I asked her if they had been busy because of COVID-19. She said that it was so slow in the clinic that they were talking about laying off some of the staff.
So far there has only been one confirmed case in our county, and this person has since recovered.
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