The one concern that will “determine what happens with this second wave is staffing,” said Daniel Varga, MD, chief physician executive at Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health. “Remember, we’re trying to run a full-service hospital as well as take care of COVID patients.”
Though statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen more slowly than they did in the spring, agencies that supplied healthcare workers, often from other states, are unable to meet demand as help is needed across the U.S.
Healthcare workers are also contracting COVID-19 at higher rates due to broader community spread. About 650 employees in the Hackensack Meridian system were out sick Nov. 19, a large percentage with COVID-19, according to Dr. Varga.
More articles on physicians:
Baylor opening regional medical school
Novant, UNC Health plan med school campus in Charlotte
US has more ventilators, but a shortage of critical care physicians to operate them
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
