Dr. Bill O’Callahan, an emergency physician, rested his elbows on his desk, his head in his hands. Despite his whirlwind thoughts — a recent COVID-19 patient with failing lungs, a 30% pay cut, the dangers he faced on a daily basis — he still counted himself among the fortunate. He was healthy, and he still had a job — for now. A staggering number of hospital employees have been laid off or furloughed — sent home without pay, waiting to hear whether they can return to work. Now, a fresh look at what lies ahead for hospitals post-pandemic reveals some may not recover from a COVID-19 patient surge that never came. Toward the beginning of the pandemic, initial worries included health systems being overwhelmed. But for most hospitals, novel coronavirus-related admissions have been more than offset by declines in unexpected areas. While fewer outpatient services and elective surgeries were expected, few hospitals anticipated steep declines in emergency room visits and in-hospital stays.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
