Sponsored by B. Riley

The health care industry in general, and hospitals in particular, have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in many respects. At its most basic level, the impact has been devastating financially. The American Hospital Association estimates that between March 1 and June 30, 2020, hospitals will have suffered financial losses of $202.6 billion, or approximately $1.66 billion per day. These losses affect all hospitals, whether they are part of large chains or are stand-alone nonprofits. Economists expect the result to be more financial failures, mergers and bankruptcy filings in an industry that was already in dire financial straits. The panelists discuss several issues that have been pushed to the forefront by the recent decisions in Gardens Medical Center and Verity Health Systems.