MA Hospitals: We Can Handle Non-Coronavirus Cases

BOSTON — Public service announcements reassuring Massachusetts residents that many hospitals can handle patients not suffering from the new coronavirus will be shown on local TV beginning Thursday.

Six hospitals are collaborating in the effort to allay fears that they are too overwhelmed with coronavirus patients to deal with other cases. Unless those fears are put to rest, hospital executives fear, patients will not seek much-needed treatment for cancer, heart and kidney conditions, and other illnesses.

"We have the physicians, we have the nurses, we have the specialists, we have the resources to treat you," said Gregg Meyer, the chief medical officer for Partners HealthCare, one of six hospital CEOs using the governor's daily update get their message across. "Do not let fear of COVID-19 keep you from getting the care you need."

People who put off seeking help for serious conditions eventually come in worse off than they normally would, the executives said. As a result, hospitals have had to perform a record number of amputations or to treat medical complications that could have been avoided if patients had sought help earlier.

Gov. Charlie Baker spearheaded the effort to get that message across, using the bulk of his daily coronavirus update Thursday to hammer the message.

"We know these medical conditions didn't stop when COVID-19 picked up," said Baker. "It’s important that people are cared for when they’re sick, whether that’s for COVID-19 or for something else."

The head of Tufts Medical Center, Dr. Michael Apkon, said emergency departments have treated about half the number of patients they would normally treat for non-coronavirus conditions. The number of people treated recently for stroke-related symptoms is 60 percent below normal, he said.

Meyer said Partners treated 5,400 patients in January, but only 2,800 in the past month— about half of them suffering from coronavirus.

Nancy Shendell-Falik, president of Bay State Medical Center, said the hospital’s pediatric emergency department normally has 120 children seek treatment per day. During the past few weeks, doctors have treated about 30 children per day.

On Wednesday, 3,977 people were being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, up 100 from the day before. But more than half the 18,000 beds now available under "surge planning" are empty, said Baker.

"That's good news," Baker said. "It means hospitals and the state are well-prepared. We spent a lot of time making sure that would be the case. The purpose of all that surge planing and response was to ensure that our health care would not be overrun."

Baker said it's too soon to talk about when Massachusetts can reopen its economy. Although the state's stay-at-home advisory expires May 4, he said, decisions about opening businesses and easing social distancing guidelines won't be made until after the surge has passed.

White House officials have recommended that states consider reopening parts of their economies after 14 straight days of declining numbers, and Baker has said he plans to follow that advice.

On Wednesday, however, the state reported an increase in the daily number of new cases after five straight days of falling numbers.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 1,745 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the state's total to 42,944. The department also reported 221 new deaths, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Massachusetts to 2,182.

Also on Thursday a dozen cars and trucks drove past the governor's home in Swampscott protesting his response to the outbreak.

Watch the governor's update here:

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