Week 14 Newsletter

July 14th 2020 Updates

Surge Capacity Strategies
Hospitals are ramping up surge capacity, although many are still deciding how to proceed with non-emergency and elective procedures, which provide a significant source of revenue.

Some are calling for a national plan to help struggling primary care offices.

Health Workforce Policies and Guidelines
As many health care providers face furlough and financial difficulties addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, some are looking at the potential for positive reform.
Health Workforce Policies and Guidelines Resources
Telehealth
Many of the changes to telehealth regulation seem likely to stay, although there are further calls for review to prevent fraud.
Long-term Care
There is more emphasis on protecting long-term care workers and their patients, especially as long-term care facilities continue to make up a large proportion of COVID-19 deaths.

Health Workforce Safety
There is continued concern over the risks health workers face when treating patients with COVID-19. The well-being of the health workforce continues to be a main conversation for maintaining safety in the workplace. Post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma are top concerns.

Maintaining stock of personal protective equipment continues to be a top priority.

Regulatory Flexibility
After nearly 5 months of COVID-19 in the United States, some are looking back and providing analysis of how the pandemic has changed health care, from telehealth to scope of practice and beyond.
Regulatory Flexibility Resources
State Workforce Strategies
State governments are trying new strategies to prevent further infection and harm to the health workforce and their patients, such as developing isolated facilities to treat COVID-19 patients.

 States are reviewing their responses to the pandemic thus far, including releasing information about what went wrong and how to improve.