PBN May 8, 2020

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN pbn.com

MAY 8-14, 2020

BUSINESS CONTINUITY WHAT’S NEXT?

PBN SUMMIT RECAP

Panelists: Use crisis as a chance to retool | 16

Kristin Urbach: New ways to live and work | 30

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 7 | $2

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

ARE WE READY? PROVIDENCE COUNTY Municipality

Cases

Per-capita rate**

Providence

3,096

1.7%

Pawtucket

946

1.3%

Cranston

564

.7%

BRISTOL COUNTY Municipality

Cases

Per-capita rate**

Bristol

82

.4%

Warren

39

.4%

Barrington

33

.2%

KENT COUNTY Municipality

Cases

Per-capita rate**

Warwick

384

.5%

West Warwick

147

.5%

Coventry

109

.3%

Cases Per-capita rate**

North Kingstown

147

South Kingstown

71

.2%

Westerly

47

.3%

.6%

NEWPORT COUNTY

HIGHEST CASE COUNTS IN EACH COUNTY* This map of the hardest-hit communities in each county shows that Providence and most municipalities that ring the capital city have been COVID-19 hot spots. One explanation is the high population density, making it easier for the virus to spread and harder for the sick to be isolated. Central Falls – which has the highest per-capita rate (2.6%) – Providence and Pawtucket have the state’s highest concentrations of Latino residents, who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Municipality

Cases

Per-capita rate**

Tiverton

49

.3%

Newport

40

.2%

Middletown

30

.2%

*AS OF MAY 6 **BASED ON 2018 U.S. CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES SOURCE: R.I DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

That’s the question on many minds as Raimondo moves to reopen R.I. case counts, hospitalizations and deaths. Soaring unemployment claims and nose-diving tax revenue. Mysteriously high infection rates among Latinos. No matter what part of the human toll and economic destruction wrought by COVID-19 in Rhode Island you focus

DR. LAURA FORMAN, chief of emergency medicine at Kent County Memorial Hospital, is used to seeing about 200 patients a day come through the hospital’s emergency department.

Over the past two months, those numbers have dropped by nearly half, to about 100 to 120 daily.

“People have been staying away; they’re worried they’ll get COVID-19 while they are here, which is an unfounded fear,” Forman said.

In an unexpected twist, the ­COVID-19 pandemic, which took hold in Rhode Island at the beginning of March, is to blame for a SEE EMERGENCY ROOMS

PAGE 19

MORE INSIDE:

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

MOUNTING

Pandemic effect: Emptier ERs

BY ELIZABETH GRAHAM | Graham@PBN.com

WASHINGTON COUNTY Municipality

ONE LAST THING

nD ining Out: How to bring

on, the numbers have been staggering.

After a monthlong stretch of steady increases in many metrics, however, recent data suggests the worst of Rhode Island’s health crisis may be behind us.

But Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s daily ­balancing SEE REOPEN PAGE 12

diners back? Page 5 nA irline bailout troubling for

T.F. Green Airport. Page 7 nP andemic Diary: Collaboration

becoming crucial. Page 15 nP rimary care concerns

intensified by COVID-19.

Page 18

THIS IS NOW A VIRTUAL EVENT. A AWARDS

See page 24 for details.

CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY ARE WE READY? That’s the question on many minds as Raimondo moves to reopen R.I.....1

FOR STARTERS

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Trending: Most-read stories on PBN.com, April 2020............................. 3 5Q: Andrew Schiff....................................................................................... 4 Dining Out: How to bring back diners?..................................................... 5 Spotlight: Knead Doughnuts...................................................................... 6 Something New: TigerEye Gift Shop LLC................................................. 6 Hot Topic: Airline bailout troubling for Green.......................................... 7 Who Owns the Block? Glen Road, Cranston............................................ 8 News Briefs................................................................................................. 9 What’s Happening......................................................................................10

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CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Pandemic Diary: Collaboration becoming crucial...................................15 Another Look: CCRI planning to hold in-person classes in fall.............15

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EDITORIAL

SPOTLIGHT | 6

FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

Editor@PBN.com Fax: 401-274-0670

Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820

Pandemic effect: Emptier ERs

Managing Editor: William Hamilton, 680-4826

Emergency rooms at hospitals throughout Rhode Island have seen a precipitous drop in visits from patients seeking care for issues such as chest pain, stroke and appendicitis............................ 1

Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim, 680-4886 Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824

Primary care concerns intensified by pandemic Primary care doctors are seeing less patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to people not having a doctor or intentionally not seeking care to avoid exposure to the virus................18

Special Projects Editor: James Bessette, 680-4838 (EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Lists

Staff Writers: Elizabeth Graham, 680-4828

Rhode Island Health & Dental Insurers................................................... 22 Massachusetts Health & Dental Insurers................................................ 22

(HEALTH CARE, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

Nancy Lavin, 680-4822 (ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL SERVICES)

CORRECTION: A story on page 1 in the May 1 edition incorrectly reported Matthew R. Trimble’s job title. He is chief operating officer of Saint Elizabeth Community and will take over as CEO and president at the end of June.

Mary MacDonald, 680-4830

FOCUS: HEALTH CARE | 18

(GOVERNMENT, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

Researcher: Cassius Shuman, 680-4884

PRODUCTION THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES big king Blue Plate Diner

12 5

Lifespan Urgent Care

18

Smithfield Pediatrics Inc.

18

north

12

Southcoast Health

21

Brown Emergency Medicine

21

Pot au Feu

5

South County Health Medical & Wellness Center 18

Brown University

12

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

4

St. Luke’s Hospital

21

Bryant University

13

Rhode Island Hospital

19

Subsalve USA LLC

15

Charlton Memorial Hospital

21

Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corp.

18

T.F. Green Airport

Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council

12

The Coggeshall Club LLC

24

Chomp Kitchen & Drink Community College of Rhode Island Cox Business CVS Health Corp.

5 15, 17 16 9, 18

7

R.I. Airport Corp.

7

The Impressed Olive

12

R.I. Board of Elections

9

The Miriam Hospital

19

R.I. Convention Center Authority

7

TigerEye Gift Shop LLC

Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce

24

R.I. Department of Education

GrowthLab Financial Services Inc.

16

R.I. Department of Health

17 15, 18, 19

Tufts Health Plan United Way of Rhode Island

6 14, 18 13

Kent County Memorial Hospital

1

R.I. Department of Labor and Training 9, 12, 16, 26

University of Rhode Island

13

Knead Doughnuts

6

R.I. Department of Revenue

9

Vertikal6 Inc.

16

Lifespan Corp.

19

R.I. Emergency Management Agency

4

Westerly Hospital

21

Lifespan Physicians Group Inc.

18

R.I. State Police

9

Wheaton College

15

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2 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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©2020 Providence Business News Inc.

Providence Business News is published weekly

by Providence Business News, 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903 (USPS 002-254) (ISSN 0887-8226) Periodical postage paid at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

FOR STARTERS

TRENDING

Most-read stories on PBN.com, April 2020

1

R.I. COVID-19 cases reach 3,251; Raimondo announces mask ­requirements POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 14 COVID-19 cases identified in the state totaled 3,251 as of April 12, a 275-case increase day to day, with seven more deaths, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said. bit.ly/2L2jOAN

3

3 R.I. restaurants make curbside comeback POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 23 Newport Restaurant Group members Avvio in Cranston, Bar ’Cino in Newport and Iron Works in Warwick have reopened for curbside takeout. NRG employee-owners decided to close at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic for health and safety reasons. bit.ly/3b4TvVi

6

Historical Citizens Bank branch site in Providence sells for $1.4M POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 10 bit.ly/2yx9Ww7

PBN FILE PHOTO/ANNE EWING

4 COURTESY CAPITOL TV

2

PBN announces 2020 Business Women Awards honorees POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 24 Day One Executive Director Peg Langhammer and Brown Medicine CEO Ann M. Kashmanian lead the honorees of the Providence Business News 2020 Business Women Awards program. bit.ly/3dhFPHSs

Stepping Up: Narragansett photographer shoots porch portraits in exchange for small-business donations POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 23 Josh Edenbaum Photography owner Josh Edenbaum lost nearly all his business amid the economic shutdown prompted by COVID-19. In the last month, he began shooting “porch portraits” – capturing the experience of families in staged COURTESY JOSH EDENBAUM photos on their front porches – in exchange for the purchase of a gift card to a local business or nonprofit. bit.ly/2L3XPJH

7

Raimondo begins outlining steps to reopen economy POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 20 bit.ly/2L1T0jY

8

With pandemic losses mounting, local colleges face biggest test PUBLISHED IN PRINT: APRIL 17 bit.ly/35GWDWk

COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

5

Over 10K file for PUA benefits in R.I.; UI claims pass 100K POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 8 Rhode Island had 10,910 residents file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance on April 7, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said. PUA is an unemployment benefits program for gig workers, contractors and the self-employed affected by COVID-19. bit.ly/35A3Vea

9

McKay’s Furniture offering comfort in a crisis PUBLISHED IN PRINT: APRIL 24 bit.ly/3b4Lhw7

10

PBN Summit: R.I.’s real pandemic test still to come POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 1 bit.ly/2SUYaD5

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 3

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Andrew Schiff CEO, Rhode Island Community Food Bank

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

1

How much more food is being distributed by Rhode Island Community Food Bank during the coronavirus pandemic?

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the food bank distributed 225,000 pounds of food per week through our statewide network of food pantries and meal programs. Now, we’re closer to 300,000 pounds. That’s one-third more food leaving our warehouse every week.

Our trucks are also making more frequent deliveries to our member agencies to keep up with the high demand for food assistance.

2

What is the biggest challenge impacting the food bank’s operations thus far?

The food industry has less surplus food to donate because of record-setting sales at grocery stores and supermarkets. Large food drives, including the Letter Carriers Food Drive, have been canceled due to the pandemic.

As a result, the food bank is purchasing more food. We’re bringing in truckloads of the most critical items that families need to make healthy meals at home.

3 PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

How is the food bank handling operations without volunteers?

To keep everyone safe, there

We’re particularly concerned about vulnerable children and seniors in each community.

are no volunteers at the food bank right now. Without them, food bank staff members are working overtime to sort and pack food for distribution.

We look forward to having our loyal volunteers back when this crisis is over.

4

What areas of the state have had the greatest need for food assistance during the pandemic?

The need for food assistance runs from Westerly to Woonsocket. We’re particularly concerned about vulnerable children and seniors in each community. With schools closed, children are missing out on school breakfast and lunch. We’ve distributed more than 8,000 Meals4Kids boxes, each containing a week’s worth of food for a hungry child. Working with [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and [R.I. Emergency Management Agency], we are also distributing 180,000 ready-to-eat meal kits, which are a great resource for seniors and others who can’t leave their homes to shop for food during this crisis.

5

What is the food bank’s greatest need right now?

The best way you can support our work is to make a financial donation to the food bank. We anticipate that the high demand for food assistance will persist for months as the economy gradually recovers. Every donation ensures that we can maintain our operations and continue to acquire and distribute healthy food to our neighbors in need. Just go to our website, rifoodbank.org. n

20 2

Nomination Deadline May 13th

0

DEADLINES EXTENDED

presenting sponsor

4 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Application Deadline May 20th

FOR STARTERS DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

How to bring back diners?

WHEN THE OPENING of the economy is discussed on a state or national level, restaurants are always near the top of the list. Add in the increasingly limited prospects that will be available to us for leisure after things reopen and it is easy to see why.

However, the focus of the restaurant reopening discussion does not seem to be on the consumer. It is about the survival of the restaurant owner, followed by the restaurant worker.

Meanwhile, we consumers have taken to takeout. It has done nothing short of bringing many restaurants back to life. More eateries are reopening for takeout every day. And consumers and business owners alike say takeout is not likely to go away after this is over. Of course, there is nothing that can take the place of dining out. Whether we choose to get away for a quick bite or spend time lingering at a favorite table, our restaurants and the industry as a whole are vital, even now.

Restaurants are no less than our food supply. That is reason enough that they must survive and the reason they will survive. If we consider that there are now two generations that largely never learned how to cook, it becomes easier to understand how we utterly depend on places that prepare and serve food and drink – be it coffee, burgers, burritos or banh mi.

Sam Glynn is the proprietor of the popular Chomp Kitchen & Drinks in Warren and is in a holding pattern to open a second location on the East Side of Providence. “We [are] totally transparent with our guests,” Glynn said, “letting them know we

are forever grateful … while [they are] understanding we have a supersmall staff in here turning out a ton of food!”

Glynn now has proof that “everyone in Rhode Island wants to eat dinner at the same time” with hundreds of to-go orders daily, all with the same pickup time – usually 6:30 p.m.

That does cause some delays, but Glynn acknowledged that it’s a good problem to have, although stressful nonetheless.

So how does food service emerge from this unprecedented ordeal?

Robert I. Burke of Pot au Feu in Providence said the future of restaurants depends on the future of social distancing. “You can’t wear a mask to eat and drink,” he noted.

Burke called the idea of cutting restaurant capacity by 50% or 75% to create more room between diners “unsustainable,” and he is watching restaurants in other states reopen to see what the effects will be.

Second-generation restaurateur Ted Karousos has a comprehensive plan for reemerging at his Blue Plate Diner in Middletown. It is built around a simple concept: make the customer feel safe. He said there should be universal training of staff and management in cleaning, sanitation, social distancing, and servers should wear masks. He envisions an industry certification for food safety similar to the alcohol-serving training program called TIPS. Restaurant owners should undergo cleaning inspections similar to fire-suppression inspections that are now required, perhaps leading to a New York Citystyle letter-grade placard in the front

RARING TO GO: Sam Glynn, owner of Chomp Kitchen & Drinks in Warren, says he’s going to build on Chomp’s takeout service when the economy reopens.

COURTESY CHOMP KITCHEN & DRINKS

window. The key, Karousos said, is to create a sense of emotional well-being for the customer. Only then will business come back completely. Once it does, he predicted restaurateurs could recover within 90 days.

Karousos said takeout is here to stay. Glynn concurred. “We are actually doubling down on our ‘car hop’ service” in the future, he said. Glynn and Karousos would each like to have partial traffic-free streets leading to expanded outdoor seating, which would cover their reduced capacity.

There are some nationally who are demanding a federal government bailout of the restaurant industry.

Others say that the real solution is for the industry to come to grips with

its own long-overlooked inconsistent and unsustainable business practices that have led to substandard wages and benefits. Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has pledged that the state will assist short term if federal aid is not forthcoming. Most everyone agrees that however this turns out, we will be observing restrictions, rules and different practices for some time to come. n Bruce Newbury’s “Dining Out” radio talk show is heard Saturdays at 11 a.m. on 1540 AM WADK, on radio throughout New England, through various mobile applications and his podcast. Email Bruce at Bruce@ brucenewbury.com.

Apply now at PBN.com

“

“

This is one of the most sought-after awards for young up and coming professionals. #PBN40Uforty

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.COM www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 5

FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

ONLINE OFFERINGS: TigerEye Gift Shop owner Ron Amore Jr. has closed his Warwick shop but is selling holiday gift baskets through his website and pickup system.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

A gift shop full of optimism

WEEKEND WARRIORS: Knead Doughnuts co-owner Adam Lastrina, right, and Bryan Tsai, production supervisor, prepare doughnuts in March. While the bakery has three locations in Rhode Island, only one remains open, serving takeout orders on the weekends only.

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

For now, Knead has reduced its size

RON AMORE JR. took a chance on opening his own gift store, something he’d always wanted, and launched TigerEye Gift Shop LLC in early February.

A survivor of cancer, he had faced adversity before and wasn’t fazed by the harsh prospects of thriving in retail.

He wasn’t counting on the new coronavirus, which unexpectedly closed his Warwick business in March. This has brought financial challenges, but Amore is confident he can make it work.

An accountant by occupation, he kept that job, and he’s selling speciality products through the store’s website and pickup system.

In the weeks leading up to Easter, he sold more than 200 baskets for children, individualized by gender, age and preference in toys. And customers also have taken to the “Love Pop” pop-up cards that the store sells.

TigerEye, named for the stone that is symbolic with courage, has also had some lucky breaks.

The landlord waived rent for him for April, giving a lifeline to the tiny store at 768 West Shore Road in Warwick. And Amore is optimistic about the future.

“I think we’ll be OK,” he said.

“We’ve got Mother’s Day coming up and after that, Father’s Day. And then hopefully we can open after that.” n

AFTER FOUR YEARS OF BUSINESS GROWTH and expansion, Knead Doughnuts completed its move into a larger commercial kitchen in February.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Waiting for a time to rise again

The new space, in a restored mill building on Cromwell Street in Providence, allowed room for growth in retail, as well as wholesale and event business.

And then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, closing most coffee shops and canceling wedding receptions.

Within a few weeks, co-owner Adam Lastrina went from managing growth to managing a swift decline, including the loss of his wholesale and wedding business, and grappling with the question of whether to close the retail locations in a rapidly changing environment.

In the end, after a wave of stateordered closures, Knead closed entirely for a few days and let the dust settle. When it became clear the state would allow restaurants to continue to serve takeout food only, Lastrina and his partners decided to open for retail service two days a week, on the weekends only, at a single location.

The dramatic scale-down of the retail business means he’s selling only two days out of seven, and out of one location, not three. He laid off all but five of his 34 employees.

After reopening, he slowly brought OWNERS: Adam Lastrina, Todd Mackey, Bryan Gibb LOCATIONS: 55 Cromwell St., Providence; 135 Elmgrove Ave., Providence

6 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

back three bakers and two retail employees.

“Two days a week, Saturday and Sunday, is better than zero,” Lastrina said in a recent interview. “It keeps us relevant.”

While the business is still allowed to sell through takeout, that option didn’t really work for its downtown location, he said, because it is too narrow to safely separate patrons.

By the beginning of April, Knead doughnuts were being sold at its Wayland Square store on Elmgrove Avenue.

The model is for takeout only, with orders placed and paid online and picked up by customers who find their package on a table. The pickup times are staggered for safety during the pandemic. On a typical weekend, the company has about 200 orders, he said.

The downtown location, where Knead was established in 2016, is continuing to be used as a community kitchen by food startups, in a separate venture launched by the company. But with college students and office workers gone, as well as tourists and conventioneers, it

just didn’t have enough business to justify keeping it open, he said.

“With the exception of what the governor deemed ‘essential workers,’ everyone else was working from home,” he said. “Driving downtown, today, it was a wasteland. There’s no one.”

Despite such uncertainty, Lastrina said they’re doing well on weekends and trying to envision a day when everything returns to normal. He knows it won’t happen overnight.

After the economic fallout, many people will be limiting their expenses, he noted.

Of the layoffs, he said it was difficult and upsetting. But he couldn’t see a way around it. Every restaurant in Rhode Island was in the same predicament. “It would be irresponsible of me to keep you on and give you zero hours, when you can at least collect unemployment for a couple of weeks,” he said.

When the economy is restarted and restaurants are allowed to reopen, Lastrina said he expects it will be a slow climb for many in his industry.

“The challenge a lot of these businesses will have is there is never going to be a case of a date, and a switch, and we’re open. It’s going to take a long time,” he said. n

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Bakery

YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2016

EMPLOYEES: Five (34 before the pandemic)

ANNUAL SALES: WND

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

Airline bailout troubling for Green

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

T.F. GREEN AIRPORT HAS BECOME a ghost town during the coronavirus crisis, and the way the federal stimulus funding is being doled out could make its recovery much more difficult, according to the chief of the R.I. Airport Corp.

Daily passenger traffic at Green failed to hit 200 people in early May, compared with 5,500 travelers streaming through the state’s largest airport each day in April 2019, according to data from the R.I. Airport Corp.

Stay-at-home orders, forced quarantine for out-of-state arrivals and anxiety about air travel have caused airlines to slash service to the point that only 21 planes arrived or departed from Green on May 4, compared with 119 on the same day last year.

Airports around the country are facing similarly dramatic drops in passenger traffic – a 95% decrease, according to daily checkpoint information from the federal Transportation Security Administration. But T.F. Green’s struggle to climb out of what R.I. Airport Corp. CEO and President Iftikhar Ahmad predicts will be a three- to four-year recovery could be more difficult due to the rules surrounding federal airline bailout money.

The $58 billion included for airlines under the $2 trillion federal stimulus package requires recipients to maintain a minimum level of service nationwide – for now, at least through Sept. 30, although additional funding could come with an extension of the minimum-service rule.

Guidelines set by the U.S. Depart-

ment of Transportation allow airlines to consolidate flights within certain geographic areas, including a Greater Boston designation that lumps in Green with Boston’s Logan International Airport.

While none of the airlines operating out of Green have permanently cut service yet, United Airlines Inc., Frontier Airlines and JetBlue Airways have suspended some flights.

The guidelines offer no incentive for them to resume full-service operations when the economy reopens.

Ahmad co-signed a letter with Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation in April asking the U.S. DOT to amend its minimum-service rule. He said prolonged service cuts would be devastating.

“When you have only 200 people,

‘The airport is an economic engine for the state.’

SEN. JACK REED, D-R.I.

and not a lot of service, it doesn’t matter as much,” Ahmad said. “Once [stay-at-home orders] are lifted, the weakest link will be services.”

Assuming an uptick in travel by late summer and fall, lack of flights out of Green could cripple its own recovery, and with it, the state economy.

The airport serves the state’s tourism industry, as well as a business and events community, said Jim McCarville, executive director of the R.I. Convention Center Authority.

Having canceled or postponed many major events scheduled for the R.I. Convention Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the ability to revive revenue streams depends upon future bookings, which in turn require easy access for out-of-state guests, McCarville said.

“The airport is an economic engine for the state,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., in an emailed statement.

“It connects people and brings jobs and business to Rhode Island.”

The devastating blow dealt by COVID-19 has also forced the R.I. Airport Corp. to amend some of its long-term plans, pushing back the dates on a major terminal renovation, Ahmad said. n

Free Virtual Summit May 21st | 9 am

The next in PBN’s series of COVID-19 Virtual Summits will provide expert advice in the following areas: Behavioral Health – Maintaining employee well-being and a positive work environment.

Human Resources – Internal policies for workplace common areas, staggering shifts/ scheduling, social distancing, etc.

Workplace Safety – What’s needed to protect your employees

Legal/Insurance Issues – Ensuring a safe environment: what are employers/employees’ rights and liabilities.

IT – Protocols for remote working; flexible work arrangements; protecting the privacy of everyone involved

Register Now at PBN.com

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities contact Advertising@pbn.com 401-680-4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 7

FOR STARTERS WHO OWNS THE BLOCK?

Glen Road (Webb Street & Pettaconsett Avenue) CRANSTON

52 GLEN ROAD (1957) OWNER: Thomas G. Roselli TENANT: Elmwood Countertop

35 GLEN ROAD (1955) OWNER: RK Nelson Realty Inc. TENANT: NAPA Auto Parts

60 GLEN ROAD (1969) ETT

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WEB

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OWNER: NHP Real Estate Holdings LLC TENANT: Polyfoam Corp.

41 WEBB ST. (1965) OWNER: E&J Dollar Store LLC TENANT: General Wholesale Direct

70 GLEN ROAD (1972) OWNER: RBD Properties LLC

OAD GLEN R

TENANT: Unoccupied

71 GLEN ROAD (1969) OWNER: Chester W. Barrows TENANT: Elmwood Auto Services

76 GLEN ROAD (1962)

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OWNER: RBD Properties LLC SE

TT

TENANT: Cranston Windustrial Co.

AV E

NU

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79 GLEN ROAD (1957) OWNER: Michele Izzo-Marchetti

84 GLEN ROAD (1978)

TENANT: Rhino Linings

OWNER: D Four Properties LLC TENANT: Francis J. Ciccarelli Jr. CPA

100 GLEN ROAD (1958) OWNER: Plastic Pipe & Supply Inc. TENANT: Plastic Pipe & Supply Inc.

85 GLEN ROAD (1986) OWNER: Kirk Realty Inc. TENANT: Kirk Electronics & Plastic Components Mfg

90 GLEN ROAD (1973) PBN RESEARCH AND PHOTOS/CASSIUS SHUMAN PBN GRAPHIC/LISA LAGRECA

8 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

OWNER: RBD Properties LLC TENANT: A & H Duffy Polishing and Finishing

NEWS BRIEFS | FOR STARTERS Local businessmen charged with defrauding CARES Act PROVIDENCE – Businessmen David Butziger, of Warwick, and David A. Staveley, of Andover, Mass., have been charged in federal district court with trying to fraudulently file for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans, the District of Rhode Island U.S. Attorney’s Office said May 5.

Staveley was charged with seeking more than $438,500 in loans for two restaurants he owned, the Remington House in Warwick and a restaurant in Berlin, Mass. He also sought loans for a Warwick restaurant, Top of the Bay, despite not owning the business or having any affiliation, according to the complaint.

Neither of Staveley’s businesses were in operation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns or since, the office said.

Butziger was alleged to have filed an application seeking $105,381 in loans under the federal loan program for an unincorporated entity named Dock Wireless, where he claimed to have seven employees. The R.I. Department of Revenue said there were no records of wages having been paid in 2020. n

CVS Health reports 40% increase in Q1 profit

District to loan laptops to Fall River students

WOONSOCKET – CVS Health Corp. made a profit of $2 billion in the first quarter, a 40.1% increase year over year, the company reported on May 6.

Earnings per share were $1.53, compared with $1.09 one year prior.

Revenue increased 8.3% year over year to $66.8 billion. The company said revenue in its retail and pharmacy segments increased largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increases related to COVID-19 also boosted sales of general merchandise, CVS said.

The company also referenced its commitment to large-scale COVID-19 testing, and its investment of $50 million to support community-based priorities related to COVID-19 such as food insecurity, health care access and front-line worker support.

“We’re utilizing our innovationdriven health care model, scale and unique capabilities to benefit consumers across the health care system,” said CVS Health CEO and President Larry J. Merlo. n

FALL RIVER – The city’s public schools are planning to distribute approximately 3,600 Chromebook laptops to students to assist with remote learning later this month, The Herald News reported May 1.

The district is preparing to teach students new material remotely for the first time since schools were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Superintendent Matthew Malone said.

On April 24, the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released new directives for districts to stop providing enrichment work to students and begin teaching them new material, the Herald reported.

According to a district-wide survey, approximately 40% of students said they do not have a laptop and less than 20% said they do not have internet at home.

Beginning on May 11, the districtowned laptops will be loaned to students from kindergarten through 11th grade who do not have a computer or internet access. n

Unemployment fraud under FBI investigation in R.I. PROVIDENCE – The FBI has joined an investigation into unemployment fraud in Rhode Island, WJAR-TV NBC 10 reported on May 5.

“The FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Rhode Island U.S. Attorney’s Office are investigating allegations of fraud involving stimulus unemployment benefits administered by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training,” an FBI spokeswoman told WJAR-TV when asked about its involvement.

DLT Director Scott R. Jensen said the department was working with the R.I. State Police to track down the source of the fraudulent claims, which could be coming from outside the United States, WJAR-TV ­reported.

According to the CLT, as of May 5, 206,573 claims for unemployment have been filed since March 9. Of that total, 153,114 were due to COVID-19.

The FBI urged victims of unemployment fraud to file reports by emailing financialcrimes@risp.gov or calling the FBI at (401) 272-8310. n

R.I. Board of Elections OKs 47 in-person polling locations CRANSTON – The R.I. Board of Elections voted 7-0 to approve requests to open 47 polling locations for the predominantly mail-ballot presidential primary on June 2 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a news release.

While most municipalities will open one polling location, Providence will open four, Pawtucket will open three, and Cranston and Warwick will each open two, the release stated.

The polling locations approved for June 2 will provide access to voters with disabilities and voters who did not apply for a mail ballot.

Originally, the Board had approved 182 polling locations when the primary was scheduled for April 28, before the pandemic forced changes to be implemented.

Locations are approved based on a range of factors, including projected voter turnout, facility square footage, accessibility for voters with disabilities, parking, and ability to accommodate social-distancing requirements. n

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FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING Talk medical innovation BUILDING ­SUCCESS: From top left, clockwise, Laurel Delaney, Betsy Mikesell, Angie White and Sonat Birnecker Hart will host a June 4 webinar to discuss how to build a successful business.

COURTESY LAUREL DELANEY, BETSY MIKESELL, ANGIE WHITE, SONAT BIRNECKER HART

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Founders discuss innovating, disrupting business world FOUR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS will host a webinar about the nuances of creating, safeguarding and sustaining success in today’s business world. Laurel Delaney, founder and president of GlobeTrade.com; Betsy Mikesell and Angie White, co-founders of Beddy’s; and Sonat Birnecker Hart, president of KOVAL Distillery, will provide insight for aspiring entrepreneurs and women who operate their own businesses. Participants will learn how to pivot their business during a crisis; why it is important to consider a Kickstarter campaign; who might be a good business partner; how setting up an e-commerce platform can take a business global; why good design makes a strong first impression; and why establishing patents safeguards your invention.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 11 A.M. TO NOON Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2ScW7tu

PARTNERS HEALTHCARE will be hosting a virtual conference with leading industry experts to discuss a host of medical issues, featuring cutting-edge topics, including how artificial intelligence is being used to fight COVID-19. This virtual event will include panel discussions by industry leaders, CEO fireside chats and live Q&A forums. The event will feature Harvard University infectious-disease experts discussing the coronavirus pandemic and the new technology utilized to combat it, as well as what is under development.

MONDAY, MAY 11, 8:15 A.M. TO 5 P.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3f2qdJW

SBA federal contracting

small businesses and its program authorizes the contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible women-owned small businesses or economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses. The workshop is intended to help level the playing field for women business owners, as the government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses that participate in the women’s contracting program.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 8:30-10:30 A.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2Sh2GLA

Legal issues for startups THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise is hosting a webinar workshop to provide an overview of a range of legal issues that entrepreneurs should be aware of when starting a new company. Attendees will learn how to avoid common mistakes and

THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise is hosting a webinar aimed at providing information about the Small Business Federal Contracting Program that is overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Through the program, the SBA expands access to federal contracting opportunities for women-owned

Interested in having your business-related event included in What’s Happening? Contact PBN Researcher Cassius Shuman at (401) 680-4884 or Shuman@PBN.com.

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10 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS employ preventative measures that can protect and ensure the success of a new business. Workshop topics will include entity formation, contract basics, intellectual property considerations, and what is required regarding licenses and regulations.

After the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a one-on-one consultation regarding their specific business legal concerns through the center’s consulting program.

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 10 A.M. TO NOON Free, must register to attend Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2zH6mjq

Business plan basics THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise is hosting a webinar to teach entrepreneurs how to write a basic business plan. This workshop will provide an overview of what is essential to crafting a business plan to ensure that your business gets off on the right foot. Topics covered will include why you need to write a business plan; an overview of each section of a business plan; research and writing tips; and resources for help and support.

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1-2:30 P.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2zHmq4J

Chamber after hours THE EAST GREENWICH Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a virtual Business After Hours event. Grab your favorite cocktail and snack and participate from the comfort of your home. Invite your friends or register individually. As part of the event, the Riddle Room will host a condensed version of its new interactive game called Dwelling Dash. Each attendee will receive a free ticket to the Riddle Room, which is a $29 value. Register prior to May 19 to receive the Zoom link, meeting ID and passcode. Information and details regarding the event will be sent to those who are pre-registered.

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 5-7 P.M. Free Online Zoom event.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2W5gUQZ

Fostering new relationships THE CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Zoom virtual leads luncheon to foster business relationships. Attendees

can participate from the comfort of their home or office. You do not have to bring a lead. Come share your 60-second commercial to help others better understand what you do, what you have to offer and who you need to meet. The event is designed to provide participants exposure and connections.

FRIDAY, MAY 29, NOON TO 1:30 P.M. $5/Chamber members; $10/nonmembers Online Zoom event.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2zx2rWb

Providence career fair HIRE ME NOW will be hosting the Providence Virtual Career Fair, which is aimed at connecting job seekers with employers looking to fill positions. This event will feature companies hiring positions in sales, retail, financial services, customer service, call center, information technology, engineering, government, education and others. Register to obtain a secured link to attend the career fair and submit your resume for screening prior to the event.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 9:30 A.M. TO 12:30 P.M. Free Online event.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3aK5lnm

Explore SBA resources THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise is hosting a workshop to aid the state’s small businesses with guidance, programs and resources that are available from the U.S. Small Business Administration to start or expand a business operation. Topics covered include: the SBA Technical Assistance Program; SBA Loan Guarantee Program; the 8(a) Business Development Program; the Historically Underutilized Business Zones Program; and government contracting opportunities.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 8:30-10:30 A.M. Free Center for Women & Enterprise, 132 George M Cohan Blvd., Providence.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2xcfV91

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The Getting Back to Business: Employee Centric Strategies virtual summit will be held on May 21 at 9 a.m. To register, contact Events@PBN.com. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS

CAREER ACHIEVER

RISING STAR

MATT COLLINS, MD EVP & Chief Medical Officer Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

JENNIFER BOSE Associate Director Providence Children’s Museum

ENTERPRISE PRIVATE COMPANY JASON CHERRY, CFO, Carousel Industries

LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY

DANA ALEXANDER NOLFE, Chief Marketing Officer Rhode Island Medical Imaging

LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY DAVID HEMENDINGER, CIO Brown Medicine

NONPROFIT/ SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES DR. COOPER WOODARD, Chief Clinical Officer The Groden Network

PAM HYLAND, CEO, Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England

PUBLIC COMPANY

WENDY MONTGOMERY, Senior VP Global Brand, Marketing and Communications, IGT

NOW OM R E T S REGI AT PBN.C

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 11

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS REOPEN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

act of turning the valve to the economy slow enough to ensure safety but fast enough to mini-

mize the economic pain is also playing out in the minds of many Rhode Islanders: Is it really safe to restart the economy – but can we afford to wait?

State health officials say stabilizing hospitalizations – though higher than previously thought after the state updated its tracking system on April 30 – as well as decreasing numbers of people in intensive care units and on ventilators are encouraging signs. New state projections also suggest the peak of the virus has passed, despite the single largest daily death toll reported on May 3.

Rhode Island has done “fantastically” well in terms of slowing the spread compared with other regions, including nearby hotspots such as Boston and New York City, said Dr. Michael Fine, Pawtucket’s public health liaison who also leads the Central Falls Office on Health.

But many unknowns – how the virus spreads, how many people are asymptomatic carriers, whether a second infection among former COVID-19 patients is possible – remain.

“These are [not] hard and fixed rules because the virus doesn’t follow our rules,” Fine said.

A 14-day decline in new cases or a 14-day decrease or stabilization in current hospitalizations are the two main benchmarks that Raimondo looked for when considering advancing the phased reopening of the state economy, set to begin May 9.

Fine, however, suggests a 21-day decrease or flattening of hospitalizations and new cases as a more-conservative benchmark to hit before reopening, based on what he estimated to be the lag time between infection and when people become sick enough to warrant hospital care, or die. While state officials have described the latest numbers as evidence of stability, Fine fears transmission and infection rates could spike again.

The daily increase in cases has bounced up and down, with the longest consecutive decline just four days – hardly enough to establish a trend, according to Emily Oster, a professor of economics at Brown University who helped develop the state’s projection model. Variables such as slower testsite traffic on weekends and foul weather also may depress new cases temporarily.

PLAYING IT SAFE: As hurt as his two Providence restaurants have been by the coronavirus panademic, James Mark says he won’t open his restaurants for dine-in service until there’s a vaccine, treatment or widespread testing.

SURGE LOSES POWER IN R.I. 350 300

■■■■■■ HOSPITALIZATIONS ■■■■■■ DEATHS*

250 200 150 100 50 0

March 15 March 22 March 29 April 5 April 12 April 19 April 26 May 3

After a doubling of hospitalizations from March 29 to April 5, the number of people hospitalized has not risen as sharply in recent weeks, and new models suggest the state has passed the peak.

Meanwhile, the state saw its largest single-day increase in deaths reported on May 3, though the week-to-week climb has held steady. A 14-day decline or stabilization in current hospitalizations is one of two main benchmarks – the other is a 14-day decline in new cases – that Gov. Gina M. Raimondo says she is looking for when considering advancing the phased reopening of the state economy.

SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH *BASED ON DATE REPORTED, WHICH MIGHT REFLECT A DELAY FROM WHEN THE DEATH OCCURRED

But with the state now regularly exceeding 2,000 tests per day – leading the nation in per-capita testing – the percentage of positive cases among those tested has held relatively stable, hovering around 13.5% since halfway through April.

Bill Ronci was counting down to May 9, when he planned to reopen his North Kingstown specialty olive oil and vinegar store, The Impressed Olive. Ronci said he felt positive state data trends supported his decision.

Considered an essential business selling food, the store could have stayed open during the crisis, but Ronci opted to close in March “to not tempt the hands of fate.” After more than a month of curbside and online-only sales – and more than a 50% drop in revenue – he was anxious to revive his livelihood and offer limited in-store hours.

“You can only stay closed for so long,” he said, adding that many of his neighboring business owners in Wickford village also planned to reopen May 9. “I had a thriving business before all this.”

While the statistics leave some business owners eager to reopen, others are less sure. Restaurant owner James Mark, however, sees only one choice.

The health risks posed by reopening too soon are far more important to Mark than the financial future of his Providence restaurants, big king and north, despite a drop in sales and staffing cuts as he has transitioned to takeout-only service in March.

And regardless of when the state deems it safe for restaurants to reopen dining services, Mark said he would not do so until a vaccine or clinically tested therapeutic treatment emerged, or a

“massive” testing level that included both sick and healthy people was reached.

“I will close my restaurants and go bankrupt with a smile on my face before I put my staff at risk,” he said.

JOBLESS JUMP What is clear is that the job market is unlikely to return to where it was anytime soon. Before the onset of the pandemic, the state’s unemployment rate hit historic lows of 3.4%. That changed in mid-March when state leaders enacted sudden, economy-crushing measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The effects were immediate. Unemployment jumped to 4.6% for the month of March, and it hasn’t stopped there.

Recent projections by Michael Lynch, an economist with IHS Markit, indicate the Rhode Island unemployment rate will reach nearly 16% by July – eclipsing the peak of 11.2% in the aftermath of the 2008 recession, as well as the state’s highest-recorded jobless rate of 13%, in 1975.

Daily unemployment claims also provide a glimpse of the catastrophic impact on the labor force. As of May 5, total claims filed hit 208,293, reflecting more than one-third of the labor force based on 566,600 workers as of March 14. In contrast, 4,755 claims were filed in the entire month of February.

Even during the Great Recession, new unemployment filings peaked at 110,000 over the course of 2009.

‘I will close my restaurants and go bankrupt with a smile on my face before I put my staff at risk.’

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

12 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

JAMES MARK, owner of big king and north

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS SUDDENLY JOBLESS 250,000

■■■■■■ TOTAL UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIMS*

_______ CLAIMS

AS A PERCENTAGE

35%

OF LABOR FORCE**

200,000

30%

110,000, the peak number of new claims filed for regular unemployment benefits in 2009 4,755 total claims filed in February 2020

150,000

40%

25% 20%

100,000

15% 10%

50,000

Ma y3

Apr il 26

Apr il 19

WEEK ENDING

Apr il 5

Ma rch 15

Ma rch 22 Ma rch 29

Ma rch 8

0

Apr il 12

5% 0

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Unemployment claims skyrocketed in the weeks after the state ordered many businesses to close, spurring employers to lay off large percentages of their workforces. Daily increases quickly surpassed prior historic levels, including the 110,000 new claims filed for all of 2009 and the 5,300 single-week peak during the 1992 banking crisis, according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training. Still, DLT Director Scott R. Jensen cautioned that some individuals have filed multiple claims because of panic and confusion over eligibility, which has inflated the total number of claims.

SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING * DOES NOT INCLUDE THOSE FILING FOR TEMPORARY DISABILITY INSURANCE, INCLUDING TEMPORARY CAREGIVER INSURANCE. **BASED ON TOTAL LABOR FORCE AS OF MARCH 14 OF 566,600 WORKERS

THE SEARCH FOR NEW CASES 3,000

100%

■■■■■■ NUMBER OF NEW COVID-19 CASES CONFIRMED EACH WEEK

_______ TOTAL CASES AS A PERCENTAGE

2,500

80%

OF TESTS PERFORMED

2,000

60%

1,500

40%

1,000

20% y3

0

Ma

6 ril 2

Ap

9 ril 1 Ap

ril 1 2 Ap

5 Ap ril

9 rch 2

Ma

22

Ma

rch

15 rch

Ma

rch 8

Ma

WEEK ENDING

Ma

0

rch 1

500

TOO SOON? Dr. Michael Fine, Pawtucket public health liaison and Central Falls health policy adviser, is concerned about a second spike with Rhode Island moving to restart its economy while there are many unknowns.

Case counts continue to increase, though health experts warn that positive cases are not a true measurement of the spread of the virus, but rather the state’s case-finding and testing abilities. A better measurement, according to some, is the number of positive cases as a percentage of total tests performed, which appears to have stabilized in recent weeks – a possible indicator that the spread of the virus has slowed. Federal guidelines name a 14-day stabilization or decrease in positive cases as a percentage of total tests as one barometer for reopening state economies, though Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has announced her own set of benchmarks for a phased reopening in Rhode Island.

SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Scott R. Jensen, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, said it was “too early to tell” what impact the wave of new job losses would have on the economy.

“From the perspective of planning, we need to be ready for a scale of unemployment that looks like the initial claim numbers,” Jensen said. “We are looking at a lot of factors, including the ripple effect of closures on long-term economic health.”

University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro wasn’t so measured, predicting the state’s jobless rate could rise to more than 20% and adding that a rebound could be a long time in coming.

“I don’t see Rhode Island’s economy recovering for at least one to two years,” Lardaro said in late April.

Edinaldo Tebaldi, a professor of economics at Bryant University, hesitated to say how high Rhode Island’s unemployment rate could soar. But based on claims filed and the state’s reliance on leisure and hospitality workers – an industry decimated by coronavirus closures – Rhode Island’s economy is more vulnerable than others to long-term stagnation, Tebaldi said.

Another indicator Tebaldi said is needed to calculate the economic impact more precisely is the decrease in state revenue.

“States have very little ability to change the revenue side of the equation,” Tebaldi said. “They cannot just print money. A big challenge will be finding revenues to support government o ­ perations.”

Indeed, income and sales tax revenue comprise nearly two-thirds of the current budget’s $4.2 billion in general revenue, according to a new report by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

‘These are [not] hard and fixed rules because the virus doesn’t follow our rules.’

DR. MICHAEL FINE, Pawtucket public health liaison and Central Falls health policy adviser

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 13

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Then there are the ramifications of closing the state’s two casinos March 14, which usually bring about a $1 million a day into the state’s coffers.

While the state has not published details on the extent of the financial hit for state government, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and Moody’s Analytics forecast up to $464 million in lost revenue for fiscal 2020, which ends June 30, and up to $592 million lost through fiscal 2021.

Then there’s the impact on small businesses, which comprise 99% of the state’s business community, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Rhode Island applicants received more than 7,000 loans totaling $1.2 billion out of the first round of funding via the Paycheck Protection Program, and $22.6 million across 142 loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program as of April 19.

As of May 1, another 6,800 loans worth $550 million had been approved for local small businesses under the second round of PPP funds.

But high demand for federal funding left many frustrated business owners unable to submit or even begin their applications for these programs, meaning the need among Rhode Island small businesses is likely far greater. When investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. made $10 million available to help struggling businesses in Rhode Island, the money was depleted within hours.

‘CORE’ ISSUES The pandemic has taken a psychological toll, too.

Calls to United Way of Rhode Island’s 211 service increased by more than 40% in March 2020 compared with the same period a year earlier, with 40% of the 17,903 calls related to COVID-19. Not only has the number of calls gone up, but so has the anxiety and stress levels of those calling – a kind of qualitative benchmark of the impact of COVID-19, according to Cortney Nicolato, United Way of Rhode Island CEO and president.

The disparity between the haves and have-nots in the state is not new, but the pandemic has brought increased attention to the plight of those without adequate resources, Nicolato said.

“We know every data point shows the lack of educational resources, lack of housing resources, lack of economic mobility experienced by our ­callers well before COVID even happened,” she said.

A majority of calls come from “core cities” such as Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls – some of the communities with the highest per-capita infection rates. As of May 4, Central Falls led in per-capita infections, with 2.6% of its residents testing positive, followed by Providence (1.7%).

The higher concentration of COVID-19 cases is what prompted Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza to enact early limitations on businesses and residents, he said. Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa also adopted stringent restrictions early on, such as requiring residents to wear face masks in public.

The state’s urban communities also have higher percentages of minority residents, who have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. Latinos comprised 44% of cases and 33% of hospitalizations as of May 4, though they make up just 16% of the state population.

Fine attributed the higher rate of infection among Latinos to several factors, including that they are more likely to live in crowded conditions that hasten transmission and work in industries that require their presence in spaces where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

“There’s nothing magic about speaking Spanish that puts you at greater risk,” Fine said. “This is born out of social conditions under which they live that put them at risk of serious consequences from any virus.”

Elorza agreed.

“There really aren’t too many places at this point where the public is gathering, but the places that do exist disproportionately are operated by and worked in by Latinos,” he said.

Diossa and Elorza anticipated that new testing sites in Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls would increase case counts in their cities, as more residents are able to access testing.

Among the markers Dr. Claire Levesque, chief medical officer for commercial products at Tufts Health Plan, is awaiting is information about immunity among those already infected.

“That gives us a better ability to say whether there will be a significant second wave,” she said. “If most people are still not exposed and there’s no immunity, the concerns for a second wave of infections will be ­greater.”

And the question over which numbers – health or economic – should inform reopening was simple for Tebaldi.

“That conversation should be guided by health experts, not economists,” he said. “This is a health crisis and should be treated as such.”

Mark agreed. He empathized with the financial losses incurred by protesters at the Statehouse demanding reopening – his own business has seen ups and downs with even the highs nowhere near their pre-COVID-19 levels. But that would never be worth risking the life and health of his workers.

“If my specific restaurants don’t make it, that’s OK, because the people will still be there,” Mark said. “If you lose the people, then you’ve lost your business anyway.” n 14 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

CALM BEFORE THE COVID-19 STORM (R.I.’s monthly seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the previous 12 months)*

5.0% 4.6% 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 3.0%

March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2020 2020 2020

In the year prior to the onset of the new coronavirus, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate had reached historic lows, which R.I. Department of Labor and Training Director Scott R. Jensen credited to workforce-training programs such as Real Jobs Rhode Island. The increase in unemployment for March, which reflects data through March 14, doesn’t capture the full extent of COVID-19’s impact on the labor force. However, even available data shows the unemployment impact in Rhode Island to be more severe than the national average or its regional peers.

SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING *APRIL DATA NOT YET AVAILABLE

‘That conversation should be guided by health experts, not economists.’

EDINALDO TEBALDI, Bryant University economic professor

LONG RECOVERY AHEAD? 12%

(R.I.’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate every January since 2007)

10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0%

Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

According to historical monthly unemployment rates, Rhode Island did not return to its pre-recession unemployment level until the end of 2016 Ω eight years after the downturn hit. While the full impact of COVID-19 on Rhode Island’s unemployment rate remains unclear, R.I. Department of Labor and Training Director Scott R. Jensen said his office was prepared for a prolonged period of high unemployment Ω similar to or potentially worse than the aftermath of 2008.

SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

PANDEMIC DIARY | CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Collaboration becoming crucial

BY DANIEL DWIGHT

(Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment in a weekly series on how Cooley Group is managing the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of its CEO.) AS RHODE ISLAND BEGINS TO REOPEN, the fog of the coronavirusinduced uncertainty surrounding health care and the economy remains.

Cooley Group persists with its efforts to work through this fog with clear communication and the consistent reinforcement of our ultimate goals for keeping our team healthy, keeping the team fully employed and keeping the facilities productive. Having clear goals has enabled us not only to maintain relative levels of sanity throughout this pandemic but also to hyperfocus each workday on innovative and collaborative ways to provide medical supplies to our local communities.

What began weeks ago as a desire to support the nation’s growing demand for personal protection equipment has since evolved into a series of highly collaborative, dynamic product-development projects now in the pipeline.

Cooley is working in collaboration with outdoor-advertising companies, commercial printers and the Ad Council on the council’s official campaign to support the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public service announcements related to keeping the nation

safe from COVID-19. On billboards nationwide, these announcements are being printed on material donated by Cooley. This past week, the collaboration expanded to include a second marketing campaign, “Out There for Us,” focused on thanking first responders for their service and dedication.

With a long history of working with donated Cooley material, Lamar Advertising Co. suggested the use of this billboard material for medical gowns. Cooley, in collaboration with Lamar and Louisiana State University, developed a modified version of billboard material that LSU could then assemble into finished gowns.

Leveraging our partnerships with various testing labs and teamwork from our brilliant research and development department, Cooley went a step further to obtain Level 3 (surgical) and Rated 4 (launderable) certification for the billboard-turned-gown material, thereby ensuring the safety and protection of the LSU medical staff and other first responders wearing these gowns.

Along with the Lamar/LSU project, Cooley is collaborating with Contollo Mass Manufacturing in Franklin,

What began ... as a desire to support the nation’s growing demand for personal protection equipment has since evolved.

KEEPING THINGS ROLLING: Workers at Cooley Group’s Pawtucket factory prepare material for shipment. The company is repurposing some of its products to create personal protection equipment for medical workers.

COURTESY COOLEY GROUP

Mass., to mass produce medical gowns to support Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center and other East Coast hospitals. This project began with the modification of Cooley’s MedGuard technology – previously used for respiratory vests and other medical-grade products – into a PPE product that is even more advanced than our recycled billboard iteration.

Cooley modified the technology for lower-cost mass production while still passing performance tests that dictate pathogen levels and repeat laundering. This past week, testing was completed to certify the safety and durability of this gown material to Level 4 (surgical) and Rated 5 (launderable).

A fourth collaboration came to the forefront this week. A longtime Cooley customer and Rhode Island neigh-

bor, Subsalve USA LLC, engineered a noninvasive ventilation bubble helmet to displace the hyperbaric oxygen treatment being used by the COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe. Cooley provides proprietary Food and Drug Administration-approved material to Subsalve to manufacture the clearfaced bubble that is placed over a patient’s head to provide concentrated oxygen flow.

In the weeks ahead, as other states begin to cautiously reemerge, I take pride in knowing that the highly innovative and collaborative team at Cooley remains steadfast in our commitment to help others in this difficult time of need. n Daniel Dwight is CEO and president of Pawtucket-based Cooley Group.

ANOTHER LOOK | PBN.COM CCRI planning to hold in-person classes in fall

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on May 1.)

WARWICK – Community College of Rhode Island has announced that it intends to have in-person teaching and learning at its campuses across the state in the fall.

The college had closed its campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Newport, Providence and Westerly in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and classes have since switched to online learning.

CCRI is the first Rhode Island state college to announce such plans for the fall. Bryant University in Smithfield, a private institution, and Norton-based Wheaton College have announced similar intentions to have on-campus activity return in the fall.

CCRI President Meghan Hughes said in a letter to the community that the college will work closely with the R.I. Department of Health to develop a plan to implement requirements for face coverings, social distancing and increased cleaning proto-

COMING BACK: The Community College of Rhode Island says it plans to open its campus for the fall session.

COURTESY COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND

cols. The school will also engage faculty, staff and student groups on how CCRI can offer courses and all college operations in order to maintain health and safety.

“The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority and this priority will guide our reopening planning and implementation,” Hughes said, also noting that this will be a “phased reopening” of campuses.

Further details on the plan will be released at a later date, Hughes said.

CCRI also announced that it will hold a virtual commencement ceremony on May 29 in lieu of a regular ceremony, which is typically held at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence. Hughes said upcoming graduates will receive details about the ceremony in the mail soon. The school is also inviting this year’s graduates to the college’s 2021 commencement next May so it can recognize the 2020 graduates’ achievements, Hughes said.

CCRI will also conduct its summer sessions via remote learning, Hughes said. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 15

PBN SUMMIT | BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Panelists: Use crisis as a chance to retool

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

FORMER CHICAGO MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL once counseled, “Never let a crisis go to waste” – a point of view that was picked up and amplified by four panelists at Providence Business News’ virtual Business Continuity Summit on April 30.

Speaking about the short- and long-term recovery of businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs, the four speakers emphasized the need for smart leadership and improvements in management to make companies function even better than they did before the shutdown of the national economy.

“We’ve got to think of this crisis as a way to retool how we are doing things,” said Scott R. Jensen, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training.

Other members of the panel were Dan Gertrudes, CEO and managing director of GrowthLab Financial Services Inc.; Ross Nelson, vice president of Cox Business Northeast region; and Rick Norberg, CEO of Vertikal6 Inc. The panelists participated by web conferencing at separate locations and an audience of more than 190 watched at their computers.

Not surprisingly, since a great

deal of work and education is now being done online by workers at home, there was lots of discussion about

digital transformation, or the process of upgrading computer systems of all kinds. Much of the advice focused on moving data to the cloud – considered a more-secure option than hardware – along with improving remote access and using artificial intelligence.

“Since the 1950s, we have used tech to evolve,” Norberg said. “Digital transformation is looking at your organization and asking, ‘Are there more ways to become more effective and efficient by leveraging tech?’ ” Norberg continued, “Do a walkthrough of your processes. If you see a file cabinet, start there. Ask, ‘Which systems are vital? What can I live

‘Businesses need to think of tech as one of the top three assets of their business.’

RICK NORBERG, Vertikal6 Inc. CEO

without? What can I afford to do?’

“Businesses need to think of tech as one of the top three assets of their business,” he added.

Gertrudes said business continuity is not a top-of-mind issue for most small-business owners, making them particularly vulnerable to the “black swan” moment of something almost unimaginable, such as a fast-spreading pandemic.

Business owners and managers, Gertrudes said, “need to rethink their process and be open to conversations about cloud technology. We have 10 years of experience behind us … to move financial operations into the cloud.”

He repeated the same advice for bill-paying systems.

Similar comments about good habits of well-managed businesses were applied to annual strategic planning.

In Gertrudes’ company, the annual planning process begins in November and concludes in February “and then the whole cycle repeats itself,” he said.

“The beauty of this is that information comes out of the cycle,”

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BUSINESS CONTINUITY | PBN SUMMIT Gertrudes said. The planning process “brings up risks and opportunities.

We can even identify simple things [such as], ‘The December holidays will actually shut down everything for two weeks this year,’ up to ‘The whole state is shut down.’

“Strategic planning is critical,” he said.

Gertrudes also advocated for cash planning beyond the week-to-week question of “how much is in the bank and what is the payroll?”

He advised business owners who don’t plan for cash needs to start slowly by extrapolating income and expenses for 13 weeks, and then moving the exercise out to four months or six months.

Several panelists were upbeat about how adaptable their own workers and their customers have been to the stresses of working at home.

Nelson said his sales and service workers are finding a range of responses from their customers. “Some are looking for savings,” he said.

“Some are closing or consolidating; some are waiting for the future.”

He said Cox has been able to help companies and their remote workers ramp up to helpful features they might have but might not have used much in the past, such as voice-servicing applications, unified messaging apps and video conferencing.

He lauded the R.I. Department of Education and the Community College of Rhode Island for donating $25,000 and $10,000, respectively, to buy and

distribute laptops to low-income students.

Panelists noted the importance of strong leadership, through the crisis and into the recovery.

Some of the qualities that business owners and managers need to bring to work now include rigor and continuity in management, and empathy and compassion in dealing with the human side of the work. Speakers mentioned making periodic phone calls and even home visits to their employees to try to determine how well their spirits were holding up.

Some panelists said video conferencing actually required more disciplined communications by managers who needed to think through what would be said online more carefully than they might in a quickly convened meeting in a conference room.

During questions from the audience, one person asked if allowing company computers to go into workers’ homes could constitute a security threat. Ross assured the questioner that the laptop is connected to a network, and therefore is embraced by all the security technology that serves the network.

One question directed to Jensen was about an employer’s obligation if a business reopened but a worker would not or could not return to the job.

Some people receiving unemployment insurance will receive an extra $600 a week in addition to their usual benefits because of the federal

ONLINE GET-TOGETHER: Providence Business News’ Business Continuity Summit took place online on April 30. The panelists communicated through web conferencing.

stimulus package. Jensen agreed that “some people in Rhode Island are now making more money in unemployment insurance than they were when they were working.”

He told the questioner, “If a company opens up and a person is available to come back to work and they don’t, they are not eligible for unemployment insurance. We will freeze their account and have a dis-

cussion with them about going back to work.”

Jensen said the DLT is well-positioned, after years of groundwork, “to help support people who are transitioning to new [work] opportunities,” in particularly through EmployRI and Real Jobs Rhode Island.

The recovery “is not going to be as simple as a two-day snowstorm,” Jensen said. n

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FOCUS | HEALTH CARE

Primary care concerns intensified by pandemic

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

HOSPITALS

dominate headlines when it comes to caring for those sick with ­COVID-19.

But the pandemic has also put a spotlight on an oft-overlooked segment of medicine: primary care physicians, who are screening patients and giving the authorization needed for most COVID-19 tests, as well as continuing to treat unrelated illnesses and to perform routine care.

Despite an influx of new testing sites and increasing capacity in recent weeks, the lack of a primary care provider among a large portion of state residents remains a barrier to testing across the state, according to Dr. Michael Fine, Pawtucket public health liaison and Central Falls health policy adviser.

“Access to primary care is your access to a test,” said Fine.

R.I. Department of Health spokesman Joseph Wendelken said access should not be an issue because the CVS Health Corp.’s rapid test site and those operated by respiratory clinics do not require primary care authorization.

But Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa said the lack of a relationship with a primary care provider has depressed testing rates among residents in his city,

many of whom also don’t have the ability to get to the CVS test site in Lincoln.

Lifespan Urgent Care is offering doctor’s notes and overseeing test results for those without primary care doctors, according to Olivier Gherardi, the medical director.

A bigger concern than access to testing was the 75% drop in patient volume at the urgent care center – a result of anxiety over potential exposure and some people not knowing the center remains open, Gherardi said.

Visits to South County Health Medical & Wellness Center in East Greenwich – which are now all virtual – have also fallen significantly, though calls from anxious patients continue to rise, according to Dr. Brian Kwetkowski.

Many inquiries have been from patients seeking a doctor’s note to get tested at many of the state-run testing sites.

Some patients already diagnosed with the virus needed medical-leave paperwork completed, while others wanted to run their symptoms by a doctor, unsure if they had COVID-19. Some calls were from people without a doctor who wanted to become patients.

Kwetkowski’s office has stopped accepting new patients because of the difficulty of establishing a relationship

INUNDATED: Dr. Brian Kwetkowski is a general practitioner with his own practice in East Greenwich.

Since the onset of COVID-19, he has been inundated with calls from patients and nonpatients seeking authorization for tests, as well as other medical problems.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘No one is more essential to public health and safety than our primary care doctors.’

NOAH BENEDICT, Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corp. CEO 18 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

via telehealth appointments, as well as cuts to staffing and hours amid a loss of revenue. Other practices have taken similar steps, exacerbating existing access issues.

While some people didn’t seek primary care treatment before the pandemic because of a lack of interest, others have had difficulty finding someone to take them, Fine said.

Rhode Island has the most primary care physicians per capita of any state, according to a 2018 report by the United Health Foundation, yet it faces a significant doctor shortage that is predicted to grow over the next decade as practitioners retire.

Compounding the inaccessibility of primary care is a lack of a coordinated state system to match patients with providers, said Noah Benedict, CEO of Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corp.

Another factor is money. Primary care practitioners’ average salaries are a fraction of that of neurosurgeons and other more-lucrative specialties, according to Doximity’s 2019 physician compensation report.

Pediatric physicians make among the lowest average salaries, a hardship compounded by the fact that Rhode Island pediatricians have the second-lowest insurance reimbursement rate in the country, according to Dr. Dinusha Dietrich, of Smithfield Pediatrics Inc. And the drop in patient volume during the pandemic has put her small practice under great financial pressure. The practice has been forced to lay off one employee and cut hours for another four.

Kwetkowski’s office also laid off two medical assistants amid revenue declines, and he worried about the practice’s future, fearing that people’s anxiety about possible exposure would continue to dampen patient visits – and, in turn, revenue – after the pandemic threat fades.

One area of good news for primary care doctors is telemedicine. Many have quickly adapted to conducting more virtual visits, with the mandate from Gov. Gina M. Raimondo that insurance companies provide reimbursement equal to a typical office visit.

Whether this would continue after the pandemic remained unclear. Dr. Claire Levesque, chief medical officer for commercial products at Tufts Health Plan, said the company needed more information before making any decisions.

Telehealth could improve primary care access without a significant injection of new providers, according to Dr. Steven Lampert, president of Lifespan Physicians Group Inc. “It’s conceivable that primary care doctors might be willing and able to carry a [patient load] larger than what was typical before the pandemic thanks to innovative practices [such as] telemedicine,” he said.

Above all, providers hope their role in the crisis will highlight their importance beyond the pandemic.

“This is a watershed moment for primary care,” Benedict said. “No one is more essential to public health and safety than our primary care ­doctors.” n

HEALTH CARE | FOCUS EMERGENCY ROOMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

precipitous drop in emergency room visits in the Ocean State and across the country.

“This has been probably the biggest surprise of the whole COVID-19 episode,” said Dr. Jeremiah Schuur, Lifespan Corp.’s chief of emergency medicine.

Hospital planning for a potential surge of COVID-19 patients was done with the assumption that health systems would already be nearly full of other patients, as they are under normal circumstances, Schuur said.

But that hasn’t turned out to be the case.

Although hundreds of patients, particularly at Lifespan hospitals, have been treated for the virus, Rhode Island hasn’t seen the number of cases or the surge of more than 2,000 to 4,000 hospitalizations predicted in a model released by the R.I. Department of Health in mid-April.

“Ironic doesn’t even seem like the right word; it’s almost paradoxical,” Schuur said of the position that hospitals have been pushed into by the pandemic.

While front-line medical staff are risking exposure to the virus, that same illness is keeping other patients away. People suffering from heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis and other pressing conditions just aren’t showing up like they used to.

Rhode Island Hospital, Lifespan’s flagship hospital and the state’s only Level 1 trauma center, normally sees about 285 emergency room visits daily. By late April, that had fallen to between 160 to 180, Schuur said. At The Miriam Hospital, also owned by Lifespan, normal numbers of roughly 230 emergency CONTINUES ON PAGE 21

UNEXPECTED SIDE EFFECT: Dr. Laura Forman, chief of emergency medicine at Kent County Memorial Hospital, says visits to the hospital’s emergency room have dropped by nearly half since the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in Rhode Island.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

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HEALTH CARE | FOCUS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

patients per day dropped to about 150, Schuur said.

The 55% drop in volume in Lifespan’s emergency rooms, reflected across the state and region, means a drop in revenue that’s worrisome to hospitals, but it’s also hard to explain.

Dr. Timothy J. Babineau, Lifespan’s CEO and president, called the plummet “inexplicable” in late April.

The presence of COVID-19 in the state cannot keep other unrelated medical conditions from happening, he said.

“We’re worried that people are staying at home with chest pain and stroke symptoms,” he said. “Our emergency rooms are safe. We’re here, we’re open.”

Decreased revenue caused by light patient volume has already temporarily shortened shifts and reduced staff at some hospitals. Kent Hospital has trimmed its emergency room staff “lightly,” Forman said. Brown Emergency Medicine, a group that supplies staff to many Lifespan hospitals, has begun to withhold 10% from the salaries of some doctors and administrative staff, said Schuur, the group’s president.

Babineau has said the COVID-19 crisis will not lead to more cuts within Lifespan, although the health system has furloughed about 1,000 employees partly due to low hospital occupancy.

At Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, some nurses and technicians are being sent home early, and doctors and other providers are seeing pay cuts, said. Dr. Brian Tsang, chair of the department of emergency medicine at Charlton and Tobey Hospital in Wareham, Mass.

A top concern, doctors say, is the seriously ill patients who are staying away or delaying a hospital visit.

Over the past two months, emergency visits for some have become more urgent because help was not sought right away.

‘We’re worried that people are staying at home with chest pain and stroke symptoms.’

DR. TIMOTHY J. BABINEAU, Lifespan Corp. CEO and president

“The acuity is up. Anytime someone comes in and needs to be immediately intubated, or is in cardiac arrest, that raises the question could they have come in sooner,” said Dr. Ryan Carter, chairman and medical director of the Westerly Hospital Emergency Department.

The hospital’s typical volume of about 50 emergency patients per day has dropped to about 25 to 30.

Westerly’s relatively low rate of COVID-19 cases has meant the hospital has treated just a few dozen people infected with the virus, but fear of COVID-19’s presence in a medical environment lingers, said Dr. Craig Mittleman, regional director of emergency services for Lawrence Memorial Hospital, which is owned by Yale New Haven Health System, Westerly Hospital’s parent company.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic became an issue, there was national pressure for patients to stay away from emergency rooms with minor complaints,” he said. “The concern was the [people with] minor complaints could potentially infect all the front-line hospital staff. We’re sort of through that first phase, and some people misinterpreted that as stay away from emergency departments completely – that got overrepresented with people.”

Waiting too long for a hospital visit is significantly more dangerous than potential exposure to COVID-19, Tsang said. People who try to ride out heart attacks can end up with lifelong congestive heart failure, and many who suffer strokes will have irreversible brain damage if not treated with anti-clotting drugs within about three hours.

“There’s a limited time we have to treat you,” Tsang said. “A heart attack can feel like heart burn. Normally we would see 40 patients a day with chest pain, and two of them might have a heart attack. Now we’re seeing a fraction of [people with chest pains], maybe five or six.”

At Charlton, where daily emergency visits usually total about 190, doctors are now treating about 100 people. At New Bedford’s St. Luke’s Hospital, which is owned by Charlton’s parent company, Southcoast Health, visits have dropped to about 130, down from 230.

“We’re seeing people that finally come in because they can’t wait any longer,” Tsang said. “It makes the treatment more difficult, there’s complications that can’t be reversed, it’s detrimental to their health.”

Doctors are quick to point out that hospitals’ preparation for COVID-19 includes protection measures for patients. Those with the disease are treated in negative-pressure rooms, which are specially outfitted to keep COVID-19 from becoming airborne, and anyone suspected of having the virus is evaluated in areas separate from other patients.

Cleaning practices and use of personal protective equipment have also improved.

“Honestly, you’re much more likely to get COVID-19 going to the grocery store” than from a hospital, Forman said. n

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FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND HEALTH & DENTAL INSURERS | FOCUS RHODE ISLAND HEALTH & DENTAL INSURERS (ranked by total lives covered as of Dec. 31, 2019) 2020 rank

1

2019: 1

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Total lives covered 1 Direct-insured Lives 2

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | bcbsri.com Kim A. Keck

500 Exchange St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 459-1000

383,534 17,224

(ranked by total lives covered as of Dec. 31, 2019) CLOSER LOOK

Direct premium income (gross) 3

Net Income (loss) 3

Admitted assets 3

Liabilities 3

Capital and surplus 3

$1.7 bil.

$68.8 mil.

$751 mil.

$379.4 mil.

$371.6 mil.

Number of lives covered in R.I.:

1.3 mil.

LIST RESEARCHED BY Cassius Shuman

2

2019: 2

3 2019: 3

Delta Dental of Rhode Island | deltadentalri.com Joseph Perroni

10 Charles St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 752-6000

311,597 NA

$115.9 mil.

$4.2 mil.

$161.9 mil.

$17.9 mil.

$144 mil.

WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 6804884 or write to Research@ PBN.com.

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island | nhpri.org Peter Marino

910 Douglas Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 459-6000

185,914 24,472

$1.4 bil.

$3.7 mil.

$357.8 mil.

$225.8 mil.

$102 mil.

4

Altus Dental Insurance Co. 4 | altusdental.com Joseph Perroni

10 Charles St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (877) 223-0577

165,660 NA

$71.6 mil.

$5.9 mil.

$47.2 mil.

$8.1 mil.

$39.1 mil.

5

UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc. | unitedhealthgroup.com Stephen J. Farrell

475 Kilvert St. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 737-6900

155,497 NA

$1.3 bil.

$35.1 mil.

$374.5 mil.

$211.3 mil.

$163.2 mil.

6

Tufts Health Plan 5 | tuftshealthplan.com Thomas A. Croswell

705 Mount Auburn St. Watertown, Mass. 02472 (617) 972-9400

22,303 NA

$315.5 mil.

$16 mil.

$132 mil.

$57.9 mil.

$74.1 mil.

2019: 4

2019: 5

2019: 6

NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists.html for more information.

FOCUS | MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH & DENTAL INSURERS | MASSACHUSETTS FOCUS HEALTH & DENTAL INSURERS (ranked by total lives covered as of Dec. 31, 2019)

FOOTNOTES j Total lives include administrative service contracts with self-insured employers. Figures represent Rhode Island residents only, except where noted.  Direct-insured lives reflect covered lives in the individual insurance market. Figures represent Rhode Island residents only, except where noted.  Direct premium income, net income or loss, assets, liabilities, and capital and surplus are as of Dec. 31, 2019.  Altus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Dental.  Financial data aggregated from reports for Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization Inc., Tufts Health Public Plans and Tufts Insurance Co. Financial performance for these divisions of Tufts Health Plan includes direct premium income and financial position from Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

1 Total lives include administrative service contracts with self-insured employers. Figures represent Rhode Island residents only, except where noted.

2 Direct-insured lives reflect covered lives in the individual insurance market. Figures represent Rhode Island residents only, except where noted.

3 Direct premium income, net income or loss, assets, liabilities, and capital and surplus are as of Dec. 31, 2019.

4 Altus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Dental.

5 Financial data aggregated from reports for Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization Inc., Tufts Health Public Plans and Tufts Insurance Co. Financial performance

for these divisions of Tufts Health Plan includes direct premium income and financial position from Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

(ranked by total lives covered as of Dec. 31, 2019) CLOSER LOOK

2020 rank

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Total lives covered Direct lives insured

1 2019: 1

Boston Medical Center Health Plan Inc. | bmchp.org Kate Walsh, CEO and president, Boston Medical Center Health System

529 Main St. Charlestown, Mass. 02129 (617) 748-6000

65,211 11,026

$2.7 bil.

$6.4 mil.

$657.6 mil.

$337.4 mil.

$320.1 mil.

2 2019: 2

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue Inc. | bcbsma.com Andrew C. Dreyfus

101 Huntington Ave. Boston, Mass. 02199 (617) 246-5000

30,940 622

$5.2 bil.

$111.6 mil.

$2.6 bil.

$920.6 mil.

$1.6 bil.

3 2019: 3

Tufts Health Public Plans Inc. 2 | tuftshealthplan.com Thomas A. Croswell

705 Mount Auburn St. Watertown, Mass. 02472 (617) 972-9400

28,175 NA

$2.2 bil.

$7.6 mil.

$767.7 mil.

$437.2 mil.

$330.5 mil.

LIST RESEARCHED BY Cassius Shuman

4 2019: 4

Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization Inc. 2 | tuftshealthplan.com Thomas A. Croswell

705 Mount Auburn St. Watertown, Mass. 02472 (617) 972-9400

14,646 486

$2.7 bil.

$748.3 mil.

NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists.html for more information.

AllWays Health Partners 3 | allwayshealthpartners.org David H. Segal

399 Revolution Drive Somerville, Mass. 02145 (800) 433-5555

4,448 806

$792.6 mil.

$160.8 mil.

UPCOMING LISTS Intellectual Property Lawyers (May 15); Veteran Employers (May 22)

2019: 7

Fallon Community Health Plan Inc. | fallonhealth.org Richard P. Burke

10 Chestnut St. Worcester, Mass. 01608 (508) 799-2100

2,457 87

$1.6 bil.

7 2019: 5

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc. | hphc.com Michael A. Carson

93 Worcester St. Wellesley, Mass. 02481 (617) 509-5597

650 62

$1.7 bil.

$20.5 mil.

$1.1 bil.

$418.5 mil.

$638 mil.

8

Health New England Inc. | healthnewengland.org Marion A. McGowan

1 Monarch Place Springfield, Mass. 01144 (403) 787-4000

28 2

$728.3 mil.

$2.5 mil.

$227.8 mil.

$140.8 mil.

$87 mil.

5 2019: 6 6

2019: 8

Direct premium income (gross) 1

Net income (loss) 1

Assets 1

Liabilities 1

Capital and surplus 1

1 All financial data represents operations throughout Massachusetts, and is as of Dec. 31, 2019.

2 A wholly-owned subsidiary of Tufts Health Plan.

22 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWSHealth | www.pbn.com 3 Formerly Neighborhood Health Plan Inc., which rebranded as AllWays Partners on Jan. 8, 2019.

$81.2 mil.

$14.8 mil.

($19.1 mil.)

$1.2 bil.

$276.6 mil.

$431.7 mil.

$421.7 mil.

$115.9 mil.

$287.1 mil.

$144.6 mil.

Total number of lives covered in Bristol County, Mass.:

146,555

WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 6804884 or write to Research@ PBN.com.

FOOTNOTES j All financial data represents operations throughout Massachusetts, and is as of Dec. 31, 2019.  A wholly owned subsidiary of Tufts Health Plan.  Formerly Neighborhood Health Plan Inc., which rebranded as AllWays Health Partners on Jan. 8, 2019.

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 23

IT’S PERSONAL Coggeshall lauded for leadership BRITT RILEY is one of three founding members of The Coggeshall Club LLC, which has been honored with the Emerging Leader Award from the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce. Based in Middletown, the club offers child care, workspaces and fitness under one roof. The Chamber presents business awards annually to honor achievements in the Greater Newport region. Riley said the club is a first-of-its-kind, fully licensed day care facility that offers unlimited coworking and fitness to all member families. She said the club was created to support the modern family, bolster its foundation and disrupt the way we approach child care and work.

What was your reaction to The Coggeshall Club being awarded the Emerging Leader Award?

We were thrilled. When we developed this concept, we knew that child care – and thus, family care – was an issue that was in dire need of being addressed, but there are always unknowns when you’re bucking tradition and starting something new. We have been overwhelmed by the reception of The Coggeshall Club within our community; it is so fulfilling to know that we are meeting a need for so many families. Being recognized by other business-minded people with this award is further validation that we are doing the right thing.

become a haven for remote employees of national companies and is an incentive to keep them living on-island.

Why do you think the Chamber honored your business with this award?

With The Coggeshall Club, we are tackling an issue that resonates with so many; one that serves professionals and their families in a way that positively impacts the quality of life on Aquidneck Island and beyond. We are directly and indirectly creating jobs and attracting and retaining talent: we have hired approximately 20 positions at our pilot club and are helping parents who may not otherwise work stay in the workforce. Some members, including many military spouses, have been using their time here to hatch new businesses. The club has

Do you have plans to expand your business to accommodate a greater audience in the Newport community or elsewhere?

Yes, we do. The Coggeshall Club is a member of the Haven Collection of Clubs, which is currently working to expand access to our services across the New England region. We are working on building another three to four clubs here in Rhode Island and some [are] in the works outside of Boston … for 2020 openings. Our big-picture goal is to shift the pendulum in the child care industry by helping 100,000 families thrive during their first five years, in the next five years. n

What makes your business unique and attractive to your clients?

The Coggeshall Club is a place where parents can work in a comfortable and professional setting [and] squeeze in a workout, whether that be Peloton fitness, streaming or in-person yoga or Pilates classes, strength training and more, while being only one soundproofed floor away from their child, who is in the care of our expert, career early-childhood caregivers.

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24 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Cheating’s not worth it DON SUTTON, THE HALL OF FAME baseball pitcher, was occasionally accused of altering baseballs to create more movement on his pitches and make them harder to hit. When asked if it was true that he used a “foreign substance” on baseballs, Sutton replied, “Not true at all. Vaseline is manufactured right here in the United States of America.”

Cheating and integrity are back in the news, big time, as we hear about the Houston Astros and possibly other Major League Baseball teams having used technology to steal signs of their opponents, causing irreparable damage to the game. After an extensive investigation, it was determined that the Astros’ videoreplay room was decoding opponents’ pitching signals using a centerfield camera and relaying the information to their batters via various signals.

Like the college admissions scandal, it will have far-reaching effects for years to come.

While it should be easy to verify credentials and performance history online, it should not be easy to lie about test scores or use technology to misrepresent one’s accomplishments.

But it happens all the time.

The statistics are alarming when it comes to cheating on tests and homework, plagiarizing and copying papers from the internet. A stunning 95% of high school students in one survey admitted to some form of cheating during their high school years.

I recently heard from a college professor who was trying to figure out how to deal with a former student who posted the professor’s old tests, as well as other professors’ tests, online, and the current students who benefitted from ill-gotten answers.

The proposed punishments went from losing course credit for current students to taking away the perpetrator’s degree. That’s a high price to pay for an already expensive college education.

Ask any human resources manager how many resumes contain a little – or a lot – of creative but not quite accurate self-promotion. Then

ask them how many of those cheaters land the job. Or, if they actually got hired, how long it took to expose their lack of qualifications.

As any businessperson knows, when you cheat at business, you lose business.

In sports, there is a referee or umpire to make sure participants play by the rules, and consequences of violations are usually immediate.

But it’s different in business. Regulations and watchdog groups do their best to guard against malfeasance, but those decisions are rarely swift enough to benefit affected customers.

Cheaters can drag out complaints for months or years of court proceedings.

And the beleaguered client often feels doubly cheated when they have to wait for resolution.

We’re way beyond the butcher with his thumb on the scale here.

Little acts of deception often lead to bigger acts. As Sir Walter Scott

wrote, “Oh what a dangerous web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

My advice is to play by the rules, no matter how hard or expensive or lonely it may be. Set your code of conduct higher than the rules, so your customers know that you will never cheat them and that they can trust your word, and your products and services. Your reputation as a person and a businessperson should line up. And if all else fails, ask yourself, would you want someone to treat your grandmother this way?

Mackay’s Moral: If you have to cheat to get ahead, you’ve already lost. n Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.

Play by the rules, no matter how hard or expensive or lonely it may be.

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | STACY NAKASIAN AND JARED SUGERMAN

The WorkShare option DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS, many Rhode Island employers are struggling to improve cash flow without layoffs. WorkShare, an R.I. Department of Labor and Training program, is one solution to that challenge.

Through the WorkShare program, an employer can reduce employees’ weekly hours and wages with employees receiving partial unemployment benefits for their lost hours. It’s a winwin. The program is designed to help businesses experiencing a temporary downturn support and retain employees until the downturn is over.

A WorkShare plan, which the employer develops with help from – and submits to – DLT, can apply to all of the company’s employees, or just those in a specific plant, department, shift or other group, provided the affected unit is made up of at least two employees. For example, a restaurant owner could create a plan that calls for kitchen staff to work regular

hours, while the hours of servers are reduced.

Under the program, the hours of those in the affected unit may be reduced by as little as 10% or as much as 50%. Wages of employees are reduced by the same percentage as their hours; so, if an employer’s WorkShare plan calls for receptionists to work 75% of their regular hours, receptionists will receive 75% of their regular weekly pay. Assuming they are otherwise eligible for unemployment benefits, employees in the affected unit will receive benefits calculated based on the reduction in hours. If an employee in an affected unit works more hours than provided in the WorkShare plan, her employer will not be in violation of state law or DLT rules. Rather, the employer will directly compensate the employee for the extra hours worked, and the unemployment insurance benefits will be adjusted.

Although Rhode Island workers

generally can collect partial unemployment benefits based on a reduction in hours without WorkShare, the program offers two advantages.

First, depending on the magnitude of the reduction, workers facing a loss of hours might also lose valuable benefits, including health insurance, retirement benefits, paid vacation and sick leave. Employers participating in WorkShare are required either to continue to provide those benefits or to reduce benefits to all employees (whether or not in the affected unit) by the same amount.

Second, under WorkShare, weekly reporting requirements typically the responsibility of employees claiming benefits are shifted to the employer.

Employees are required to make one initial filing with the DLT; afterward, any reporting burden associated with the collection of unemployment benefits falls on the employer.

Although most Rhode Island

The program is designed to help businesses … retain employees.

businesses likely are eligible to participate, some restrictions apply. For instance, the business must have at least two employees. Also, WorkShare is not available to seasonal employers or to businesses delinquent on any tax payments.

Employees must be eligible to receive regular unemployment insurance benefits in Rhode Island to participate in WorkShare. If an employee in an affected unit is not eligible, that will not usually disqualify the employer from participating. If an employer finds that WorkShare is not a good fit, it can discontinue its participation.

However, while an employer is participating in WorkShare (which it may do for up to three years), it cannot lay off any employees in an affected unit without DLT approval.

Rhode Island’s WorkShare program can help companies retain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, while ensuring that employees receive unemployment compensation for reduced hours and other benefits. n Stacey Nakasian is a partner in the law firm of Duffy & Sweeney and head of the ligation department. Jared Sugerman is an attorney in the firm’s business law group.

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | ELIZABETH C. TIPPETT

Virtual-interview advice: Wear pants IF YOU SCORE a virtual job interview in the middle of a pandemic, the initial euphoria of potential employment may soon be replaced with anxiety over what to wear – as well as putting your home life on display for a potential employer.

And with good reason. Social scientists have found that traditional interviews – without set questions or scoring metrics – are poor predictors of job performance.

When this happens, interviewers make subjective judgments based on irrelevant information, such as physical appearance and nonverbal cues.

Illegal stereotypes based on gender and race may also be at play.

Employment litigation has not succeeded in tamping down these practices. Companies have little incentive to ensure their interview practices relate to on-the-job performance.

That left job candidates focusing much of their energy on making a good impression instead of demonstrating important job skills.

And that was before the coronavirus pandemic, when applicants had the benefit of a neutral conference room as a backdrop.

My advice: You are under no obligation to introduce your prospec-

tive boss into your home life through video chat. In other words, there’s no shame in attempting to recreate that conference room environment at home.

What should you wear?

Pants.

Definitely wear pants, even if you think they can’t see the lower half of your body.

Basically, you should dress the way you would for an in-person interview, which may be varying degrees of formal depending on the industry and the role you are interviewing for.

Traditional job interviews are a contest of wills between a candidate’s desire to conceal their true qualities and an employer’s efforts to suss them out, through not-so-subtle questions such as, “What are your weaknesses?”

Ordinarily, you can expect a little help from the law in this regard, since companies shouldn’t be asking questions that hint at a discriminatory motive – such as your religion or whether you have a disability.

Virtual job interviews upset the balance by revealing the contents of your home. This is fundamentally unfair in the interview concealment tug of war.

I set up my laptop to point at a bare

corner of wall. That way, I reveal nothing about my questionable interior decorating and life choices.

Should you hide your children?

Certainly, you are under no obligation to voluntarily disclose your children’s presence – and your prospective employer really shouldn’t ask. Asking about children is often a proxy for gender discrimination, as mothers are disproportionately penalized for their status as parents.

For example, an experimental study by Stanford University professor Shelley Correll suggested that participants gave lower ratings – and offered less pay – to female applicants who listed their membership in the parent-teacher association on their resume. By contrast, male applicants with children were offered higher salaries in the experiment than their

childless peers.

Does this mean that men should roll out their kids for an “accidental” cameo appearance to enhance their stereotypical role as family breadwinner? Not necessarily.

A study by business professor Erin Reid suggests that men preserve their privileged status in part by concealing the child care work that they perform.

So parents, if you’re inclined to shove a device and a lollipop in the general direction of a child who might blow your cover, don’t feel guilty – you’re not the only one trying to pass for a productive employee these days. n Elizabeth C. Tippett is an associate professor at the University of Oregon School of Law. Distributed by The Associated Press.

Virtual job interviews upset the balance by revealing the contents of your home.

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 27

OPINION EDITORIALS

Health risks of reopening balanced by ongoing economic crisis As the state embarks on a cautious reopening of its economy, the nagging question on everyone’s mind is, “Are we ready?” As this week’s cover story shows, despite a mountain of data on the devastating human and economic toll COVID-19 has taken in Rhode Island, there is no definitive answer in the numbers.

The daily data suggest the health crisis is abating.

But there is no certainty that the number of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths will not surge again once restrictions on business operations and crowd sizes are slowly eased as part of a phased reopening.

For some people, that lack of certainty is reason enough not to move forward yet. For many others, however, including Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, there’s another question the numbers can’t answer that’s part of the equation when measuring the risks associated with easing restrictions on some businesses: “Can we BALANCING ACT: Gov. Gina M. Raimondo is beginning a phased reopening of the state’s economy but says it will be quickly halted if the state sees a surge in new cases of COVID-19.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ DAVE HANSEN

afford to wait?”

That’s because as terrible as the health crisis has been – with 370 fatalities as of May 6 – there’s also been a devastating economic toll.

More than 150,000 Rhode Islanders have filed for unemployment due to COVID-19. That’s a staggering number in a state of just over 1 million.

The vast majority of those employees worked at small businesses, long the backbone of the local economy and also the most vulnerable in an economic crisis.

Are there health risks to reopening the economy? Surely, but they must be balanced against the immeasurable pain of a local economy moving from a recession to perhaps depression, if too many businesses are lost or downsized while we wait. n

Fed. rules imperil T.F. Green After declining passenger traffic throughout 2019, T.F. Green Airport saw some gains in January and February.

But by the time those numbers were reported, COVID-19 had already shut down most business activity across the state.

The results at the Warwick airport have been devastating.

On May 4, just 21 mostly empty planes arrived or departed, compared with 119 on the same day in 2019.

Daily passenger traffic this month has been below 200, compared with more than 5,000 a year ago. Those numbers will rise with the state’s stay-at-home order lifted, but airport operators worry T.F. Green may not have enough flights when consumers are ready to fly again.

That’s because airlines receiving federal stimulus funding can consolidate flights in a geographic area that links T.F. Green with Boston. That creates a disincentive for airlines to continue flying out of Green if they can meet minimum requirements for the region with flights in and out of Logan International Airport.

R.I.’s congressional delegation is now playing catch-up fighting to eliminate this disincentive. The airport’s survival may depend on their success. n

POLL CENTRAL PBN.COM POLL

EXECUTIVE POLL

Staying afloat Has your company faced accounting challenges during the coronavirus pandemic?

Is continued operation and liquidity still a short- or long-term concern for you and your company?

No: 60%

No: 60%

Yes: 40%

Yes: 40%

What accounting challenges has your company been facing? (Select any that apply)

It was before we received stimulus funding: 0%

Preparation of forward-looking cash-flow estimates: 50%

Does your company have a business interruption coverage insurance policy to recoup losses and retain solvency?

We are not facing accounting challenges: 40%

No: 40%

Accounting for financial assets: 10%

We do not need it: 40%

Recoverability and impairment of assets: 0%

Yes: 20%

Going concern analyses: 0% The Providence Business News Executive Poll is a weekly survey of 70 business leaders throughout the state, representing small and large companies in a variety of industries.

28 | MAY 8-14, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

How should legislative leaders prioritize state spending for fiscal 2021, given the local toll of the COVID-19 pandemic? APRIL 24-30 The toll on local businesses has been so devastating, the state budget needs to be refocused to help them first

53%

The governor has submitted her budget and lawmakers need to plan as usual for annual spending priorities

13%

Helping health care providers prepare for a possible second wave of the virus must be the priority for discretionary state spending

13%

Helping disadvantaged residents and the thousands of newly unemployed should be the focus of any major spending changes for the next fiscal year

13%

I don’t know 7%

Has your attitude about shopping at the physical locations of local businesses permanently changed due to COVID-19?

THIS WEEK’S POLL:

•Y es, I will shop inside local businesses only when absolutely necessary for the foreseeable future • Yes, I will avoid shopping where there are large crowds • No, I am eager to return to my old shopping habits when it is safe • I don’t know To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

OPINION OPINION

Virus exposes weakness in health coverage

JOAN RETSINAS GUEST COLUMN

Before the coronavirus, advocates for national health insurance did not convince a swath of the electorate to support them. The employer-based system, after all, insured most of that swath. A feasible plan would build on it, with safeguards to protect enrollees from the greediness of private insurers, with subsidies to help people buy insurance if they couldn’t afford the premiums, and with the government as insurer for almost everybody else. Many progressives were willing, if reluctant, to accept pragmatic progress, hoping that the arc of justice was bending toward justice.

After the coronavirus, our world and the arguments for national health insurance are upended. We have no choice.

First, Uncle Sam has stepped in already to spend billions on health care. Because the virus is so contagious, the government is paying for much of the care. At least for the virus, forget copays and deductibles.

Just get tested. The message is clear: health over all else. Even over the inability to pay.

Before the coronavirus, the government insured more Americans than conservatives like to admit: the elderly, the disabled, the low-income, the government employees, the military, the veterans. Now the list has grown. We may try to parse the expenditures – so much for virus-related illnesses, nothing

for non-virus-related ones, such as cancer, arthritis and diabetes. But that parsing by diagnoses grows difficult when patients present with a group of diagnoses, as many do.

Second, the employer-based system depends upon a thriving private sector. The economy has tumbled. Economists track the number of people furloughed, the number who have applied for unemployment, the number seeking food stamps. “Payroll protection” is predicated upon optimism: we want to protect jobs for the upturn after the danger passes.

But when the upturn happens, no seer blithely predicts life for all sectors. Will retail stores spring back? Will people shop for clothes, trying them on? Will sports arenas fill up, with mask-wearing participants sitting 6 feet from each other? What about planes? They need passengers more than a government bailout. Will tourists once again go sightseeing? Some industries may hunker down for a few years, confident that with time and amnesia customers will return. The cruise and hotel industries hope so. In time, those industries may not only spring back but adapt. In time, new industries will soar.

The key phrase is “in time.”

Waiting in the wings for a pink slip are the employees of state and local governments.

To date, those governments have held on

The employer-based system depends upon a thriving private sector.

to employees, often repositioning them as crisis-helpers. But as tax revenues fall, those governments may need to pare their ranks.

The upshot: more people unemployed.

The crucial question looms: What percentage of our population will we leave without health insurance, without health care? The stop-gap measures from before the virus will not work. Continuation of health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – known as COBRA – works only for former employees solvent enough to pay the full premium; it won’t work at all for employees whose companies have folded.

As for Medicaid, the states and Uncle Sam have joined to insure some people who can’t afford insurance on the open market, but states have been trying to ratchet down those rolls. Now those rolls will soar, forcing states and Uncle Sam to recognize that the poor and near-poor are not a social aberration but part of the body politick. The federal government will have to step forward.

A few robustly conservative ideologues, such as Sen. Mitch McConnell, call for letting hard-pressed states sink into bankruptcy.

But the people in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington – virus-ridden states – are part of our nation. We won’t cast them adrift. (If we did, the bond ratings for every state, every city, red or blue, would plummet.)

National health insurance is now a ­necessity. n Joan Retsinas is a columnist for The Progressive Populist.

Offering companies immunity is bad idea TIMOTHY D. LYTTON GUEST COLUMN

Governors around the country are attempting to restart the economy by easing restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The prospect of returning to “normal” amid a pandemic has businesses lobbying Congress to grant them sweeping immunity from civil liability for failure to adequately protect workers and customers from infection.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has warned of an “avalanche” of lawsuits that will stymie economic recovery efforts if Congress does not act quickly. He said he won’t let another coronavirus bailout pass the Senate unless it also shields companies from coronavirus-related liability.

My research on the role of civil lawsuits in reducing foodborne illness outbreaks suggests that fears of excessive litigation are unwarranted. What’s more, the modest liability exposure that does exist is important to ensuring businesses take reasonable coronavirus precautions as they reopen their doors.

As a general matter, businesses are subject to civil liability for carelessness that causes injury to others. The law defines carelessness as a failure to exercise “reasonable care.”

In applying this standard, courts consider several factors: n Did the business take available costeffective precautions to prevent injury? n Did the business comply with laws

or regulations designed to protect public health and safety? n Did the business conform to industry standards for health and safety? n Did the business exercise common sense?

If the answer to one or more of the questions is no, then a court may conclude that the business was careless and is subject to liability for damages to customers who suffered harm.

In the context of the current pandemic, I believe reasonable care sets a clear standard for business owners. Invest in costeffective precautions such as ensuring employees wear masks and gloves and keeping customers apart. Follow the guidance of health officials and all regulations.

Law-abiding, thoughtful business owners are likely to exercise reasonable care with or without the threat of a lawsuit.

For example, a Georgia nail salon owner recently described her plans for reopening, which included accepting patrons by appointment only, conducting prescreening telephone interviews, limiting the number of people in the salon, and taking temperatures before allowing people to enter.

Predictions of “frivolous” lawsuits appear to be generating unnecessary anxiety among business groups. But they shouldn’t. Personal-injury lawyers representing victims work on a contingency-fee basis. This means that they have no

incentive to take on sure-losing cases, and they risk being disciplined for professional misconduct if they do so.

To successfully sue a business for COVID-19 transmission, a patron would have to prove that he or she contracted COVID-19 from the business. However, most people infected with COVID-19 currently have no reliable way of identifying the source of their infection.

Moreover, a business would not be liable to patrons who knowingly and voluntarily assumed the risk of infection.

Viable legal claims related to COVID-19 are likely to be extremely rare.

Yet even occasional lawsuits act as a nudge, encouraging the entire business community to adopt reasonable precautions.

This is one of the lessons of civil litigation arising out of foodborne-illness outbreaks.

A small handful of high-profile lawsuits against food companies have encouraged businesses at every link along the supply chain to improve their safety practices.

Similarly, the prospect of liability for ­COVID-19 transmission is likely to encourage business owners to take precautions.

Shielding business owners from this liability is one kind of immunity that will not help end the current crisis. n Timothy D. Lytton is a professor of law at Georgia State University. Distributed by The Associated Press.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 8-14, 2020 | 29

ONE LAST THING New ways to live and work Kristin Urbach North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce executive director Kristin Urbach has been executive director of the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce since 2015. The Chamber is one of Rhode Island’s leading business membership and trade organizations and represents more than 400 businesses, including Quonset Business Park.

AS

a result of the new coronavirus, we are learning how to work and live in new ways.

We have been taken out of our comfort zone and our normal way of doing things. Our ways of communicating, listening, managing and connecting are being redefined and refashioned into developing processes and systems that are meaningful within our economic, social and political structures.

Many of us are adjusting to working virtually. This also includes students whose classes have been moved online. In this virtual world, businesses are using Zoom and other online conference platforms for communicating with their employees, customers and clients. This new mainstream form of communication provides leaders opportunities to design their interactions in a new way.

Small businesses that have relied on in-store purchases have moved their services and products online, while some offer free delivery or pickup at their stores. They are exploring new ways of doing business. While deliveries from Amazon.com Inc. have been increasing during the past few years, small businesses have been forced to develop new operational procedures in order to continue to survive and thrive.

As groups of industries are able to return to work, we will continue to redefine our new way of operating in this climate.

The North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce has adapted throughout the decades [91 years] by proactively listening to the needs of the business community.

Our mission remains the same: to make our community a great place to work, live, learn and visit.

To quote the late Peter Drucker, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not turbulence, it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”

Our logic is a new way of doing business. n PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

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LEADERS

ACHIEVERS AWARDS

Nomination deadline July 1st | Application deadline July 8th

PBN is now accepting nominations for our Leaders & Achievers Awards.

25 Leaders and Achievers* will be recognized for their notable success and strong leadership both in their fields and to the region. Honorees will be chosen based on their long-standing commitment to the business community as well as a sustained demonstration of leading others, community service and mentoring.

Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to recognize those company executives and business owners who are going above and beyond to lead their organizations through the toughest of times. *Nominees should be over 55.

Apply at pbn.com For sponsorship and advertising opportunities contact Advertising@pbn.com | 401-680-4800

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We’re here to help you keep going.

Adjusting to a new way of working isn’t easy, but we’re here to help you keep business moving. With tools for working together, even when you’re apart, and dedicated 24/7 support, we’ll help make this new way of working work better for you.

To learn more about our resources for making it work, visit coxbusiness.com/working or call (866) 240-4798.

Not all services are available everywhere. Learn more at coxbusiness.com. © 2020 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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