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For what already seems like an interminable amount of time, our lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus. While the lives of some are drastically more affected than others, the fact is that we are all experiencing the vast repercussions in one way or another. For some physicians, the effects of the coronavirus have been life altering, and in some cases, life shattering. Those on the frontlines treating coronavirus patients are dealing with circumstances previously unknown, and taking incomprehensible risks every day just to do their jobs. The sacrifices being made by these individuals cannot be adequately described or revered, and we all owe them respect and gratitude unlike any other time in history.
But what about other health care workers, those not directly facing the coronavirus? Surgeons, ophthalmologists, pediatricians, OBGYNs – the list goes on and on. There are hundreds of thousands of physicians in the US of various specialties who are not necessarily being called upon to treat patients of the virus, but their lives are being drastically affected nonetheless. Shelter-in-place orders and restrictions on health care visits to only those that are absolutely essential, means that physicians (and APs and NPs) across the country are in many cases facing a near standstill in their practices. The reduction in office visits, procedures and surgeries of course means that revenue is down – way down – for health care practices of all types. Just like any other business, practices need revenue to survive; they have bills to pay and employees who depend on their salaries. And on top of that is the unique incongruity wherein doctors’ offices have the obligation to remain open and available for patients, despite the drastic reduction in services. Whereas many businesses currently facing a decrease in business are closing their doors temporarily and stymieing some of their ongoing expenses and overhead, conversely, most health care practices don’t have the ability to push the pause button, but rather are required to continue operating with a fraction of the resources they typically utilize. Although Congress has approved the provision of billions in federal aid to assist small businesses through the Payroll Protection Program, it is already clear that the available aid will not be sufficient to help everyone. The resulting financial impacts are very real, with many practices having no choice but to lay off both administrative staff and providers, maintaining only a barebones team to keep their offices afloat. Other practices are taking the approach of drastically reducing provider compensation in order to offset the decline in revenue. In both cases, health care workers are dealing with very real financial effects and are trying to figure out how to support their families until any semblance of normalcy returns.
Huge unknowns obviously lie in the future. Will the practices that reduced their staff be able to resume their previous level of services? Will there be a giant influx in illness and disease (and therefore medical visits) as a result of the prolonged period without regular check-ups and basic healthcare? Will we have a nationwide shortage of physicians, NPs and PAs, either as a result of cultural changes or as a result of necessitated periods of self-isolation for those who did work on the frontlines? Only time will tell what lies ahead for the health care industry. For the time-being, the best we can do is take responsibility for our health and the health of those around us, taking whatever steps necessary to lessen the burden for our frontline providers.
The Lauth O’Neill team would like to express our deepest gratitude and respect for our clients and all health care providers who are sacrificing so much at this time for the greater good. We continue to provide dedicated services to our physician, PA and NP clients who seek guidance with respect to their employment contacts.