Perspective
Perspective is a weekly blog from Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the 黑料正能量 Association, that explores the most important issues facing hospitals and health systems.
Benjamin Franklin said 鈥渆nergy and persistence conquers all things.鈥 Those words are certainly appropriate for this year as we continue our battle against COVID-19. They also are very pertinent for the next week as we must keep the pressure on Congress to make sure they provide hospitals and health鈥
Two hundred twenty-four. That鈥檚 the number of days since the last COVID-19 relief package was signed into law.
Like everything else this year, Thanksgiving will be different. We hope that everyone will heed the recent letter to the American people from the AHA, AMA, and ANA 鈥 which lays out very strong reasons for not traveling this year, but celebrating instead within our immediate households. Of course we鈥
鈥淒on鈥檛 let perfect be the enemy of the good鈥 is a quote credited to the French writer and thinker Voltaire. Although he died in 1778, that phrase is very appropriate today when discussing the Affordable Care Act.
We shouldn鈥檛 be surprised by now, but 2020 continues to be an extraordinary year 鈥 and it鈥檚 not over yet.
We鈥檝e been discussing for months how hospitals and health systems are contending with the worst financial crisis in their history as they continue to serve on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.
A COVID-19 vaccine is likely coming soon. Whether it鈥檚 next month, at the end of the year or in early 2021, many scientific experts believe we will have one or more safe and effective vaccines to combat the deadly virus.
Hospitals and health systems have reinvented themselves in many ways to respond to COVID-19. Since March, decades of standard operating procedures have been reexamined, redesigned and refined 鈥 all with the goal of saving lives while protecting caregivers and patients鈥 families during the pandemic.
The good 鈥 our society clearly recognizes the vital role our hospitals and health systems play in our nation鈥檚 critical infrastructure and how important they are to our communities鈥 health and safety. The bad 鈥 we have seen an increase in the frequency, severity and sophistication of cyberattacks鈥
While hospitals and health systems 鈥 and their brave front-line caregivers 鈥 continue to battle the greatest public health challenge of our lifetimes, the Department of Health and Human Services recently made a change to its COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting requirements that could鈥