Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recommends re-opening facilities to provide non-emergent, non-COVID-19 healthcare.
The Trump administration said Monday that healthcare facilities in states that have seen enough of a decline in COVID-19 cases to reach the Phase II criteria for reopening their economies should begin offering non-emergent, non-COVID-19 care. Decisions should be consistent with Federal, State, and local orders, and CDC guidance and made in collaboration with state and local public health authorities.
CMS offered a guide for the second phase of resuming in-person care, recommending maintaining adequate surge capacity regarding physical space, protective equipment, testing, staff and supplies, prioritizing care for at-risk populations, and participating in a national data collection system to track outcomes, system impacts and resource allocation.
Regions and states should only reopen if they have met the “gating criteria” proposed by the federal government, which includes a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases and positivity rates over a 14-day period, downward trajectory of flu-like and COVID-19-like symptoms over that span, and having robust testing programs in place.
Nearly 55% fewer Americans sought hospital care in the early stages of the pandemic. A decrease in procedures for life-threatening illnesses was particularly alarming, researchers said, noting a 57% decrease in services related to cardiology, a 55% decline in breast health services and a 37% decrease to oncology. Healthcare providers are concerned that the significant decline of high-acuity care related to cancer treatment and heart procedures will lead to sicker patients and ultimately higher mortality rates.
Another study by Mayo Clinic found that visits to hospital emergency departments are down by as much as 40% while patient acuity has risen by 20 percent. Banner Health in Arizona told Healthcare Dive about its plans to activate its surge plan with rapidly increasing hospitalizations, along with hikes in the use of ICU beds and ventilators.
Read the full release on Modern Healthcare
Read the full guidelines from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Read the full article from Health Care Dive
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.