Prisma Health announces furloughs due to coronavirus’ negative impact on business
Prisma Health, one of the largest healthcare providers in South Carolina, is furloughing workers in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, it announced.
In a statement, Prisma Health said that administrative, corporate and clinical areas “across the entire organization are impacted by this furlough. This is a rapidly evolving situation both here and across the nation, so we do not know how long it will be in effect.”
Prisma said it had begun to notify employees who will be affected by the furlough, but that it did not “have an exact number of impacted team members at this time.”
Prisma said the action was in response to a “dramatically” decreasing number of elective procedures being performed; Gov. Henry McMaster recently requested such procedures be postponed or canceled so that the state’s hospitals could prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham called McMaster’s move “a great decision” during a press conference Friday. “It’s creating bed space in South Carolina (that) a lot of people would covet,” Graham said.
However, according to Prisma, a major portion of its revenue comes from elective procedures. It said that losing that revenue, combined with the added costs of dealing with COVID-19, has created a “negative impact” on Prisma’s bottom line.
Prisma’s website claims 32,000 team members, making it one of the largest employers in the state. It has already put out a call saying it will accept donations of medical supplies and set up temporary drive-through testing sites for the virus throughout the state.
“In order for us to take care of our patients today and the foreseeable future, we need to take this difficult measure,” Prisma said in its statement. “Once we come out of this — and we will — we can get back to business as usual.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 1:49 PM.
