In the throes of the current lockdown order here in Minnesota, the numbers of jobless claims filed by healthcare workers is over 10 000 such claims.
The state’s health care system prepares to ramp up to peak capacity in coming weeks as 15% of people who contract COVID-19 end up in the hospital and 5% require intensive care. Yet the order from Gov. Tim Walz indefinitely postponing all nonessential or elective surgeries and procedures as of Monday has reduced the revenue available to pay for care at peak levels. …
Between March 16 and Wednesday evening (3/25), more than 10,500 claims were filed for unemployment assistance by people who work as health care practitioners or related staff, said a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development on Thursday. Fewer than 2,600 people in that category applied for assistance in 2019, records show.
Meanwhile, another 7,840 claims for assistance were filed for people in health care support roles, including home health aides, orderlies, occupational therapy assistants and dental assistants, in that 10-day span, DEED said. Last year, fewer than 4,500 such claims were filed.
Healthcare organizations should utilize retraining for other healthcare delivery methods winthin those organizations … to meet the demand sure to come in the wake of COVID in this state.
