KCUR: Kansas City Hospitals Say They're Ready For More Patients

Children's Mercy Adele Hall Campus

By Alex Smith

Political and business leaders in Kansas and Missouri are preparing for a gradual return to normal life in response to economic pressure and some positive signs that COVID-19 may be waning.

Hospitals are also taking their first steps toward business as usual, as financial pressures and demand for care increase.

Children’s Mercy doctor Angela Myers says the pediatric hospital needs to resume care for patients whose health issues have worsened after treatment delays.

“As children have waited to have procedures and surgeries over the last two months, they have become essential,” Myers says.

Since mid-March, hospitals across the country have provided only COVID-19 and urgent care, after the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommended that hospitals stop performing non-urgent procedures to conserve resources for potential COVID-19 surges. Some projections estimated that health care providers could be overwhelmed.

That means going to the hospital will be a very different experience for patients than it used to be, at least for the near future.

Among the differences patients may notice:

Many hospitals in the Kansas City area say they will continue to restrict visitors, and people entering hospital buildings will be screened for fevers and other symptoms of COVID-19.
Hospitals are requiring masks for all staff and for patients.
Patients who are getting surgery will be required to be tested for COVID-19 prior to their procedure.
Social distancing will continue inside hospitals when possible, and patients will be encouraged to use telehealth, rather than in-person visits, to consult with doctors.
Children’s Mercy Hospital will continue to allow only one parent or guardian to accompany a patient, in most cases.

Though data show some promising signs that COVID-19 may be slowing down, health experts say this is due largely to social distancing efforts.

Read the full story via KCUR

Learn more more COVID-19 information from Children's Mercy