Nebraska Health Care Providers Adapted During COVID-19 Pandemic

While a shift to more outpatient or same-day surgeries had been underway for some time, area health system leaders say the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated it. It similarly sped the expansion of telehealth, which gave people access to clinicians when clinics were closed and many patients were leery of in-person encounters. It also provided remote support to staff at smaller hospitals, allowing them to keep more patients closer to their homes.

The pandemic also exposed the challenges facing the health care workforce and the gaps between the demand for such workers and educational programs’ ability to produce them. And just as worker shortages have helped drive wage increases in industries from transportation to food service, health systems also are seeing increased labor costs.

Steve Goeser, president and CEO of Methodist Health System, and Jeff Francis, vice president of finance for Methodist, were among area health care leaders who spoke to the Omaha World-Herald about changes to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Omaha World-Herald: Nebraska health care providers adapted during pandemic