In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, some states and health systems continue to perform elective procedures, Medpage Today reports.
What you should know:
1. Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health is the nation's largest rural hospital system. The system delayed all elective procedures in Minnesota — one of 35 states banning elective procedures — but continues to perform them freely in South Dakota and North Dakota, which are allowing elective procedures to continue.
2. Sanford Health Vice President and Medical Officer Douglas Griffin, MD, defended the decision, saying the procedures were being performed "based on patient symptoms, resources available and the clinical justification to procedure."
3. Pittsburgh-based UPMC has come under fire for performing elective procedures during the pandemic. In several statements, the health system has justified the program, saying it follows CMS guidelines in terms of patient triage and treatment.
4. Elective procedures are a huge revenue driver for health systems. Canceling the procedures endangers future financial viability and could result in health systems being put in financial turmoil.
Read the entire piece here.