CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than $400 million was the latest estimated revenue shortfall in the coronavirus pandemic for hospitals in West Virginia for the time between March 2020 and March 2021, according to the president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association.
“That is a huge number,” Jim Kaufman said two weeks ahead of the start of the 2021 Regular Legislative Session.
“The hospitals have done well and I appreciate all of our staff — doctors, nurses, clinicians, nutrition, housekeeping — stepping up, but the hospitals have struggled financially because of skyrocketing costs and lost revenue.”
The $400 million number took into account previously-approved supplemental funding.
Kaufman said hospital officials would be looking to federal and state officials for additional financial assistance in the coming months.
Scheduling of more non-emergency procedures as COVID patient demand declines will also be key to revenue growth through 2021 as well, Kaufman said.
On Wednesday morning, the state Department of Health and Human Resources reported 550 people were being treated for COVID-19 at hospitals across West Virginia.
In all, 137 of those patients were in intensive care with 63 on ventilators.
Those numbers all reflected continuing downward trends.
“I think it’s still too early on to tell if this is just a blip. I think in another two to four weeks we’ll have a much better sense, but the good news is it’s heading in the right direction,” Kaufman said.
“You may still see hospitals struggling a little bit because of staffing shortages or capacity, but, overall, moving in the right directions.”
Kaufman cited Fairmont Regional Medical Center as one of the sites being used to treat COVID patients with less serious symptoms to take strain off other facilities.
It was early January when virus hospitalizations in West Virginia reached their highest levels in the pandemic thus far, according to DHHR tracking, following a previous spike in the middle of December.
On Jan. 5, 2021, West Virginia virus-related hospitalizations set a record with 818 COVID patients reported statewide.
On Jan. 6, 2021, 219 patients were said to be in intensive care, the largest ICU number from any point.
Separate tracking from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent global health research center based at the University of Washington, puts West Virginia’s pandemic hospitalization peak on Jan. 6.
Early January was also when the number of intensive care patients outnumbered available beds, according to IMHE.
“Even during the peak, which hopefully is behind us, we still had capacity statewide but, because of certain hospitals or what was going on in the community, you saw some hospitals really at capacity,” Kaufman said.
“They were moving patients to other facilities and adjusting other services that they were providing to continue to ensure access.”
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in West Virginia rose by 25 on Wednesday to 1,953, in DHHR reporting. IMHE projections indicated, at the current pace, state virus deaths could be at just more than 3,000 by early May.
As always, projections were subject to change.
“We need to continue to do the four things to help really reduce the spread — mask up, social distance, wash our hands and, then when it’s your turn, roll up your sleeve and get the vaccine,” Kaufman said.
“Yes, the (virus hospitalization) numbers are heading in the right direction, but we still need everybody to do their part.”
Hospital employees have been some of the first to receive coronavirus vaccines.
“They’ve been dealing with COVID for ten months and that does take a toll on staff so, even when you can reopen back up, you’ve got to be careful we don’t burn staff out either,” Kaufman said.
The West Virginia Hospital Association is a not-for-profit organization representing 59 hospitals and health systems across the Mountain State.
Throughout the pandemic, the organization has been part of a cooperative effort with state, local and hospital officials to coordinate the maintenance of bed space at larger hospitals while also supporting smaller community hospitals.