MELISSA: WOW, THANK YOU, MIKE
TOBIN.
CONNELL?
CONNELL: MELISSA, TREATING
CORONAVIRUS IS TAKING MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS OUT OF THE NATION’S
MEDICAL SYSTEM AND THREATENING
RESOURCES IN THAT SYSTEM.
IN FACT THE FORMER VETERANS
AFFAIRS SECRETARY DAVID SHULKIN
IS WARNING THAT U.S. HOSPITALS
COULD LOSE MORE THAN
$500 BILLION IN 100 DAYS DURING
THE PANDEMIC.
HERE FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON
UNIVERSITY AND JEFFERSON HEALTH,
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO,
DR. STEVEN KLASKO.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FACILITY,
YOUR HOSPITAL, WHAT’S THE
FINANCIAL SITUATION?
>> YES.
SO THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT WE
WERE VERY PREPARED FOR THE
PANDEMIC.
WE HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST
TELEHEALTH NETWORKS IN THE
COUNTRY.
WE HAD A PANDEMIC SURGE GROUPS.
WE HAD 60 DAYS PPE BUT LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE WE’RE LOSING
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
A MONTH BY DOING THE RIGHT
THING.
LET ME GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE,
CONNELL, WE USE 15,000 GOWNS A
DAY.
GOWNS THAT USED TO COST US
20 CENTS NOW COST $11.
SO YOU CAN PRETTY QUICKLY DO THE
MATH, AT A TIME WHERE LESS
PEOPLE ARE HAVING ELECTIVE
SURGERIES.
IT IS A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE
ECONOMY, BECAUSE THAT PART
HASN’T EVEN BEEN FACTORED IN
YET.
WE’RE ONE OF THE LARGEST
EMPLOYERS IN PHILADELPHIA.
ALMOST EVERY HEALTH SYSTEM IS A
LARGE EMPLOYER AND AS THOSE
NUMBER, THE HANGOVER OF THOSE
NUMBERS WILL HAVE HUGE EFFECTS
ON INVESTS, ON EMPLOYEES, ON
UNEMPLOYMENT, MANY OTHER THINGS.
CONNELL: AS BAD AS IT IS A LOT
OF PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND THINK
IT WILL COME RIGHT BACK ONCE WE
REOPEN, THAT THE ELECTIVE
SURGERIES WILL START UP AGAIN
HOWEVER I SAW YOU QUOTING SAYING
IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA
LOSING ALREADY NINE BILLION
DOLLARS AND ONLY 30% OF THAT
MIGHT COME BACK, IS THAT RIGHT,
ONLY 30%?
>> WELL, WE, WE THINK THAT ABOUT
30% WILL COME BACK FROM
GOVERNMENT CARES ACTS AND OTHER
COVID RELATED PIECES.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR YOUR
AUDIENCE THOUGH, CONNELL, IS
GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THEY CAN TALK TO THEIR
DOCTOR AND GET SAFE CARE.
THAT IS WITH WE’RE CONCERNED
ABOUT.
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO INTO THE
SYSTEM.
LITERALLY WE CALL IT SORT OF THE
PAN DIDN’T.
60% OF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET CARE
THEY NEED, THAT IS EMERGENCY
CARE.
CARDIOLOGY, ONCOLOGY, BREAST
HEALTH, DID NOT GET THE CARE
THAT THEY NEED TO PREVENT A
HEART ATTACK, TO PREVENT BREAST
CANCER.
SO WE’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
CRISIS OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE,
THAT PEOPLE WON’T COME IN FOR
THOSE PROCEDURES POST THE
PANDEMIC.
THAT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING YOU
GUYS COULD HELP A LOT WITH, OF
HAVING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW
IMPORTANT THAT IS.
YOU DON’T JUST DIE FROM COVID.
YOU DIE FROM LOTS OF OTHER
DISEASES.
CONNELL: RIGHT.
MAKES A LOT SENSE.
WHAT IS ON THE LINE HERE THOUGH,
DOCTOR, IF THEY DON’T COME BACK?
IF THEY DON’T COME BACK YOU
WOULD HAVE TO PRIORITIZE, RIGHT?
HAVE YOU HAD JOB CUTS, WHAT
WOULD ALL OF US LOSE ON SERVICES
THAT WOULDN’T BE AVAILABLE IF
YOU HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS
DOWN THE LINE?
IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
>> IT ISN’T.
WE HAD TWO HOSPITALS GO BANKRUPT
IN PHILADELPHIA PRECOVID.
A PLACE LIKE JEFFERSON IS
STABLE, ARATED.
REALLY TOUGH ON US.
WE HAVE NOT LAID OFF OR
FURLOUGHED ANYBODY ELSE YET.
WE HAVE PUT PEOPLE FIRST
MENTALITY.
IT WILL BE INCREASINGLY HARD.
THERE WILL BE SOME SAFETY-NET
HOSPITALS THAT FRANKLY GO
BANKRUPT THAT HAVE TO MERGE OR
BOUGHT OUT.
THIS IS OPPORTUNITY, I’M AN
OPTIMIST, HEALTH CARE GONE
KICKING AND SCREAMING INTO THE
CONSUMER REVOLUTION, WE AT
JEFFERSON TALKED ABOUT GETTING
CARE AT THE HOME WELL BEFORE
COVID.
ONE YO OF FINANCES, SAID TO ME,
BANKING AND HEALTH CARE USED TO
BE THE TWO LEAST CONSUMER
FRIENDLY ENTITIES.
NOW YOU’RE ALONE.
THE ONES THAT CAN MAKE IT START
TO LOOK HOW CAN HEALTH CARE GET
OUT TO THE HOME.
YOU HAVE TO ALIGN THE PAYER AND
THE PROVIDER.
REMEMBER THE PAYERS HAVE GOTTEN
ALL THE MONEY.
THEY’RE NOT PUTTING IT OUT.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN ALIGN PAYER
PROVIDER STRATEGY THERE IS NO
WAY OUT OF THIS.
CONNELL: ALL RIGHT.
BOY, IMPORTANT DISCUSSION ABOUT
THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THIS FOR
HOSPITALS, THAT HASN’T BEEN
TALKED ABOUT AS MUCH AS IT
