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Yale New Haven Health CEO Marna Borgstrom: Don’t delay flu shots or medical care.
People have resumed getting non-Covid-related medical care — so much so that approximately 30 incoming Yale New Haven Hospital patients were awaiting surgery and medical beds on Wednesday morning.
Yale New Haven Health CEO Marna Borgstrom shared this update at a hospital system virtual press conference.
“We’re happy to see at least that people are coming in,” said Borgstrom. For the patients still awaiting beds, she added, “they want to get up to a room; everybody understands that and is working like crazy.”
She and top YNHH doctor Tom Balcezak stressed that patients should not delay seeking medical care, including outpatient care, amid the pandemic.
“Our environments are safe,” said Balcezak. “Our physicians and other caregivers are here to take care of you.”
Yale New Haven Hospital has reached its full inpatient capacity under Covid-era space restrictions, while Bridgeport and Greenwich Hospitals have reached pre-Covid inpatient levels.
The hospital system hasn’t seen a comparable spike in patients seeking outpatient care, Borgstrom said. Many patients are still using telemedicine.
Meanwhile, several private health insurers have announced that they will soon stop fully covering copays for virtual medical visits.
Borgstrom, who has been a vocal supporter of utilizing telemedicine on a more permanent basis, said “it does concern us if payers are not going to continue to support [telemedicine]. The payers have all seen low numbers of claims this year, and I think the most productive thing would be for them to partner with providers to figure out what we’ve learned … rather than reverting back to their traditional norms.”
Balcezak noted that a benefit of telemedicine is its convenience for patients, particularly those who have difficulty leaving their homes.
Borgstrom and Balcezak also urged the public to obtain flu shots. The flu shot is particularly important this year, they said, since many flu symptoms overlap with Covid symptoms and the two viruses can be easily confused.
Balcezak said that at Yale New Haven Health, any patient who presents with a respiratory illness — particularly those who also have a fever — will be treated as potential Covid-19 patients unless they receive a negative Covid test.