IDN OPPORTUNITIES
Opening Back Up With a continued reduction in COVID-19 cases, one health system was busy mapping out next steps to resuming elective surgeries and procedures
At its high point, Ochsner Health was located in one of the nation’s COVID-19 hotspots. The New Orleans-based
health system had confirmed inpatient cases that reached into the mid-800s.
But there were positive signs by mid-April. On April 17, the number of inpatient COVID-19 cases had lowered to 573. Another positive trend was more people being discharged home who were COVID positive. Ochsner discharged its 1,500th COVID patient by April 20, just over one month after Ochsner admitted its first COVID-19 patient on March 9. More patients were coming off ventilators and fewer were having to go on them. Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Ochsner Health, said the health system was working with local and state officials on how to open back up some of its operations. “We’re working towards getting ready to get back to do other surgeries or procedures that we’ve had to delay,” he told media members in a conference call. “We delayed them during the peak, but these patients still need care. Cancer surgery, heart surgeries and other things have been delayed, so it’s time to get back to taking care of folks.” 14
June 2020
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Delay of care Thomas said one of the fears from a public health perspective is there were people delaying their medical care due to COVID-19 concerns. Many people with medical issues were fearful to leave their house. “That has significant implications,” said Thomas. “We’ve heard of people who have had strokes who delayed care out of fear. Minor heart attacks as delayed care. People with broken hips that have delayed care for multiple days. That is not a good situation.” Dr. Robert Hart, chief medical officer, Ochsner Health, said ER physicians had seen cases where a patient with a heart attack stayed at home a few days rather than coming in for treatment. On the surgery side when the stay-at-home order was in place, Ochsner was only performing emergency surgeries. “There are some tiers of surgeries we laid out that could be put off and some that couldn’t,” Hart said. “We’ve
