The head of Nuvance Health joined other executives of Connecticut hospital systems to discuss the strain hospitals will be under, if COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to increase without additional federal funding to maintain operations.
Nuvance President Dr. John Murphy said he doesn’t know when Connecticut will reach its peak in coronavirus cases, or how high the total hospitalizations will be.
“We look at models every day. They’re all obviously concerning and this is going to get worse before it gets better," Murphy said.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was alongside the hospital executives during a virtual roundtable on Tuesday.
Blumenthal told hospital executives he will continue to urge Congress to provide much more federal assistance for the state’s health sector.
“Increased federal funding is absolutely essential," Blumenthal said. "The amount in the compromise proposal has been made is inadequate but it’s a start. It is a down payment on what’s needed: $35 billion.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is negotiating a bipartisan $900 billion aid package that would extend federal pandemic unemployment benefits, renew small business loans, and provide some relief to cash strapped state and local governments. Some of that money is also designated for hospitals.