Hospital in Southern Arizona says it's on the brink of closure because of COVID-19 costs
Leaders of a small, regional hospital south of Tucson say they are on the brink of closing because of costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We need economic relief to keep functioning," Kelly Adams, CEO of the 49-bed Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital, told The Arizona Republic. "There's a revenue problem. ... All hospitals are going to need some economic relief very, very soon."
One of the problems, Adams explained, is that elective surgeries have been canceled as a result of an executive order by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in anticipation of a surge of patients ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The cancellation of surgeries means less revenue coming in from patients at a time when the hospital is trying to comply with another executive order from Ducey — that all Arizona hospitals by April 24 increase their number of patient beds by 50 percent. Increasing bed capacity is adding additional expenses at a time when the hospital has very little revenue, Adams explained.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/hospital-in-southern-arizona-says-its-on-the-brink-of-closure-because-of-covid-19-costs/ar-BB1295YB