Health care shifting back to prevention
Hospitals and community health centers that meet certain criteria will be able to resume offering a limited set of nonemergency services on Monday under the first phase of the state’s reopening plan, but many types of care still remain on hold.
As long as they attest to safety standards and capacity levels, hospitals and health centers can on Monday begin offering “highpriority preventative services” like pediatric care, immunizations and screenings for at-risk patients, along with urgent procedures for conditions that would worsen significantly if left untreated.
“These services are intentional to meet the needs of high risk populations, including communities of color and our children,” Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said at the press conference where Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled a fourphase plan for reopening Massachusetts from the widespread shutdowns put in place to mitigate spread of COVID-19.
Non-hospital providers will be able to offer the same set of high-priority services starting May 25.
Hospitals are already open and likely ready to expand care, according to the state’s health reopening plan, while individual clinics and other providers that have been closed may need more time to ramp up. A March 15 Baker administration order mandated that Massachusetts hospitals cancel non-essential elective procedures, and providers have been encouraged to deliver care through telehealth whenever possible.
“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of continuing telehealth,” Sudders said.
Elective procedures typically make up a significant portion of hospital revenues, and many hospitals have experienced a financial squeeze even as they built up their capacity to care for COVID-19 patients.
Hospital reopenings are contingent on bed availability, both statewide and at the individual hospital level, and providers must attest to meeting a set of requirements that include screening and testing protocols for both patients and employees.
The types of care that can resume in the first phase include pediatric visits, substance use disorder treatment, post-operative physical therapy, chronic disease management visits, placement of implantable contraception, biopsies for potential cancer.