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Despite pandemic, health system and payer profits up due to less utilization
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareSecond-quarter headlines reporting the financial windfalls of payer organizations and health systems have been copious recently, despite what experts and analysts predicted would be devastating hits to the ledger because of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Even as many health systems treated only virus cases and most others shut down all elective surgeries, all of the nation's largest for-profit hospital chains saw a rise in profits.
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Will classroom teaching this fall lead to increased illness?
Patrick Gleeson EducationIn this time of every kind of uncertainty, one of the most troubling decisions Americans must make is: which is worse, the possibility of exposing teachers and students to a deadly disease or the certainty of impairing the education of an entire generation of students by keeping them out of school? Here are the differing views and why there are no easy choices.
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COVID-19, children, and existential fear
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs the summer of 2020 wanes and the school year begins, there is understandable fear, confusion, and existential dread regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Myriad questions remain unanswered regarding how to keep our students, teachers, and staff safe amidst the desire to regain some semblance of a normal educational experience. Debates, lawsuits, and mixed governmental messages rage on, and uncertainty is the order of the day. Where do we go from here?
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Are schools reopening prematurely?
Bambi Majumdar EducationIn some areas where school has already started, a rash of COVID-19 cases has led to a chaotic start to the new academic year. While infections continue to rise in large parts of the country, reopening schools with in-person learning may foreshadow dire results. There are already reports of teachers and students bringing the virus to school with them in the South and the Midwest, triggering quarantines. More cases like these will result in delayed openings and further shutdowns.
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3D printing: Making biocompatible, sterilizable plastic and metal components…
Micah Chaban Medical & Allied HealthcareThe medical industry is changing quickly. While there have been major advances, medical device manufacturers still need viable options for manufacturing devices and equipment both to patients and healthcare providers in an efficient, low-cost manner. Many device manufacturers still use traditional production methods, but 3D printing is making it possible to create biocompatible and sterilizable components at a pace that is fast and inexpensive.
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Trump administration throws additional support behind telehealth
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcarePresident Donald Trump signed a new executive order Aug. 3 to expand access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, notably in rural areas. The Trump administration also is extending some telehealth services even after the pandemic public health emergency ends. The order is meant to improve connectivity and directs the government to create a joint initiative within 30 days to improve health communication infrastructure and expand rural healthcare services.
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Flying scared? You’re not alone
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted how comfortable Americans are traveling these days, especially if that trip involves a flight. In fact, a new survey from The Manifest shows that more than two-thirds of Americans these days are afraid to fly the friendly skies. Older Americans are particularly concerned when it comes to regions experiencing surges in cases.
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COVID-19 and the power of the collective
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThe coronavirus pandemic has shed light on myriad aspects of the healthcare system here in the United States, including the good, the bad, and the painfully ugly. We have also witnessed the many faces of the public’s appetite — or lack thereof — for a coordinated national response, not to mention the scientific community’s deep dive into the heart of the pandemic’s causes and possible amelioration. If we are to prevail and save as many lives as possible in the coming months, the power of the collective must be more fully harnessed and realized.
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4 ways healthcare tech has been impacted by COVID-19 and what the future…
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareCOVID-19 forced most healthcare institutions to offer more telehealth services. Now that patients have a taste for home-based care, they will expect more of such services in the future. In essence, COVID-19 has pushed the idea of a healthcare system built on consumerism to the forefront of the discussion in medical circles. Here are four ways COVID-19 is having an impact on healthcare, and a glimpse of what the future may hold for patients and practitioners.
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Manufacturers poised to scale up production when COVID-19 vaccine arrives
Bambi Majumdar ManufacturingDrug manufacturers are under immense pressure to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. Now, they think that they can master a process that typically takes years by producing a vaccine in months. These companies have already received millions of dollars in funding to scale up manufacturing capacity and move hundreds of millions of vaccine doses. But many in the medical community are worried about this type of guarantee.
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