AHA president on WONK FM discusses hospital losses, concerns due to COVID-19

Even though Congress has passed several bills that provide some relief for hospitals during the COVID-19 health emergency, more must be done, said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack yesterday in an interview with Washington, D.C.-based WONK-FM.

“We’re not out of the woods here,” Pollack said. “I think there’s a perception that [hospitals] had bounced back after the first round of the first surge.” He noted that a third of U.S. hospitals experienced negative operating margins before the health emergency began and pointed to a recent AHA report that found hospitals and health systems could lose at least $323 billion in 2020 because of COVID-19.

Pollack also expressed his concerns about personal protective equipment and testing shortages, increased staffing needs and intensive care unit capacities. He reiterated that hospitals remain safe and people should not put off lifesaving care. Listen to the full interview here.