Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1275740
29 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 29 CEO/STRATEGY Coronavirus spike won't end elective surgeries, Milwaukee hospital execs say By Alia Paavola H ealthcare executives in the Milwaukee area say they plan to continue offering elective care even if COVID-19 hospi- talizations spike, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. Many public health experts expect a second wave of COVID-19 infections to hit by the end of the year. But the healthcare executives said that hospitals won't need to implement strict elective care cancellation procedures as they did in March and April because more is known about the virus. "We know COVID now," Jeff Bahr, MD, chief Aurora Medical Group officer for Advocate Aurora Health, told the Business Journal. "I accept that there might be another peak. e name of the game right now is to be able to continue to serve patients and continue de- spite another bump or spike." Dr. Bahr added that Advocate Aurora Health executives plan to continue "with minimal interruption" to elective surgical procedures. Spokespeople for ProHealth Care, Froedtert Health, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Wisconsin also told the Busi- ness Journal that their organizations plan to continue some or all elective surgeries even if there is a second surge in COVID-19 cases. Medical College of Wisconsin President and CEO John Raymond Sr., MD, told the Busi- ness Journal that "Even with a second wave or surge of COVID-19 cases, I do not believe that we will need to return to the stringent restrictions that were imposed on elective procedures and routine clinical care in March and April of this year." ProHealth Care and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin officials said that they plan to of- fer elective care amid a spike, but the amount of that care will depend on several factors, including whether there's enough protective gear for staff. Health systems across the U.S. canceled elec- tive procedures in mid-March in an effort to prepare for a spike in COVID-19 cases. As a result of the cancellations of the more lucra- tive services, health systems saw steep revenue drops. roughout June, hospitals have started to resume elective services. n US News says it erred in children's hospital specialty rankings By Alia Paavola U .S. News & World Report said that an er- ror occurred in a data transfer procedure, affecting the specialty ranking scores of three children's hospitals. The media company said that it has revised the data and updated the rankings of the three affect- ed children's hospitals. The data is used to calcu- late certain pediatric specialty rankings. The three affected hospitals were Seattle Children's Hospital, Portland-based OHSU Doernbecher Chil- dren's Hospital and Salt Lake City-based Inter- mountain Healthcare's Primary Children's Hospital. After correcting the hospitals' scores, Seattle Chil- dren's ranking improved in nine specialties, Do- ernbecher Children's Hospital saw its ranking im- prove in three specialties and Primary Children's hospital saw its ranking improve in pediatric neu- rology and neurosurgery. The Children's Hospital Honor Roll was not af- fected, and no other rankings have changed, U.S. News said. n Mayo Clinic to advise Delta Air Lines on COVID-19 safety measures By Ayla Ellison D elta Air Lines announced June 30 that it will consult with Mayo Clinic on COVID-19 testing for employees and the Rochester, Minn.-based hospital will advise the airline on safety measures. Mayo Clinic Laboratories designed Delta's employee COVID-19 testing program and will assist in administering the tests and an- alyzing the findings. Based on the results, Mayo will make recom- mendations to Delta on how to update its existing policies and safety measures. Mayo will also provide Delta with clinical guidance to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The hospital will advise Delta on best practices for customers regarding COVID-19 prevention. Mayo said executives from both organizations will form an advi- sory council that will review and assess the airline's safety policies and procedures. "Mayo Clinic has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by de- veloping innovations in molecular and antibody testing, therapies including convalescent plasma, and protocols and procedures to protect our staff and patients from the spread of infection," Henry Ting, MD, chief value officer at Mayo, said in a news release. "We look forward to collaborating with Delta by using advanced analyt- ics and ongoing testing innovations to help their passengers travel as safely as possible." n