At the start of 2020, Jacksonville-area hospital systems were announcing and adding expansions to their campuses, taking advantage of solid financial footing and a strong economy.
Less than three months later, they were preparing for the global pandemic.
Medical facilities do not look like or operate as they did in January, and they may stay that way for some time.
They deployed emergency response tactics for which they had hardly planned. Gov. Ron DeSantis then banned elective surgeries, resulting in significant drops in revenue.
Mayo Clinic furloughed employees and delayed construction on projects in response.
At Baptist Health and Ascension St. Vincent’s, employees in slower areas of the hospital were asked to take vacation days or be cross-trained to help in areas where they were needed.
While patient volumes slowly are returning to normal, pandemic protocols remain in place.
Medical systems are prepared for a possible surge of COVID-19 patients and working to prevent the spread of the disease within their facilities.