Grand Itasca Hospital Loses Revenue During Coronavirus Pandemic
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.– As of today, there are 24 cases of Coronavirus in Itasca County and local healthcare providers are working to contain the spread in the area. Even though Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital has stayed open, its revenue has been falling.
As the fight against COVID-19 goes on, smaller hospitals are starting to feel the brunt of the virus.
“A lot of unknown has been the worst part of it,” said Jean MacDonell, Chief Executive Officer and President of Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital.
The Grand Rapids hospital has been working to fight COVID-19 in their area. So far they have given out 450 tests and now are testing around 25 people per day.
With how busy hospitals like Grand Itasca have been during the pandemic, revenues are dropping significantly. Grand Itasca says its clinic has dropped by 50 percent, with the ER down 40 percent and its surgical capacity down 95 percent.
After a great start to the year, the pandemic is causing the hospital to lose 40 percent of their total operating revenue per week.
With Governor Walz allowing healthcare providers to do elective surgeries, the hospital says they are thrilled to be bringing them back to Grand Itasca.
“It was very odd just to not see patients in the hallway and to have the quiet was a little bit eerie,” said MacDonell. “So we are just thrilled to be able to open back up and to make sure that the community knows that it’s safe to come in.”
The hospital has taken steps to keep surgical patients healthy. One way is by testing those patients three days before surgery to find out whether or not they are positive.
Grand Itasca is confident that they can are thankful for everyone’s help during the pandemic and hope April will be their low point revenue-wise for 2020.
“Everyone has really stepped up to the plate, it has been long hours. We’ve had some people changing roles so everybody’s had to be a little bit fluid in these abnormal times,” said MacDonell.
Grand Itasca has also been working closely with Minnesota Health-Fairview in the Twin Cities during the pandemic.
