“… While we continue to grapple with the virus, the sacrifices of the American people and heroic health care workers on the frontlines have brought us a long way from where we were two months ago. Telehealth will remain an important tool, but some areas of the country should also begin resuming in-person care for those who need operations, procedures, preventive care, or evaluation for chronic conditions…”
“More than half of primary-care practices have sustained a greater than 50% reduction in their patients, according to nonprofit Primary Care Collaborative. The Trump administration worked with Congress to obtain a historically unprecedented $175 billion in relief for hospitals and other providers. Nevertheless, even large health care systems have furloughed tens of thousands of staff.”
“For the financial survival of a large portion of our nation’s health care system — and the critical medical care they provide — we must gradually reopen.”
“CMS has put out detailed recommendations to help states and localities to do exactly that. These recommendations — which last week entered Phase 2 — are a part of the President’s guidelines on reopening, which contain a number of thresholds — regarding case numbers, surge capacity and testing — that should be met before moving on to any of the three phases.”
“Once they are met, clinicians and healthcare facilities should partner with their local and state health officials to determine a path forward based on CMS’ recommendations.”
“As part of Phase 2 of the President’s plan, they should begin to resume in-person care as long as it will not jeopardize their surge capacity…” Read the full article here.
Source: It’s time to get back to non-Covid health care – By Seema Verma, June 16, 2020. CNN.
