COVID Chronicle

The finances of rural healthcare systems are always challenging. With COVID-19 one of the greater tasks Northern Light Health faced was not only ramping up services to meet the needs of patients needing care, but also adapting care to ensure that non-COVID patients would not be at risk.

Dialogue with State and Federal legislators After the Maine Legislature adjourned on March 17, Northern Light Health initiated a weekly COVID-19 email update for legislators and staff of Maine’s congressional delegation. Updates included information on CDC COVID-19 guidance, screening and drive-through testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), expansion of telehealth, COVID-19 outbreaks in long term care facilities, the significant role of our home care team, and Congressional COVID-19 legislation. We also discussed the financial impact of COVID-19 on Northern Light Health member organizations and resuming non-COVID-19 elective procedures and outpatient care. Response to the weekly communication has been very positive. Northern Light Health has also worked closely with staff of Maine’s Congressional delegation. Regular communication highlighted the significant financial impact that COVID-19 has on our members as our delegation worked with Congressional leaders to pass the CARES Act and subsequent additional funding. Staff for Senators Collins and King provided substantial support to resolve challenges with vendors not fulfilling our orders for masks and other personal protective equipment. The same staff, along with Governor Mills’ office were critical in communicating to federal DHHS and the White House the need to ship Remdesivir to Maine as a clinical resource for critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Participation in national forums to strategize on funding opportunities Lisa Harvey-McPherson, VP of Government Relations is an active member of the American Hospital Association Government Relations Officer’s Network. During weekly conference calls with AHA and hospital government relations leaders across the country, Northern Light Health advocated for the need to transition Medicare Accelerated/Advanced Payments to a forgivable loan or significantly change the terms of the advance payment recoupment. While much of national focus was on COVID-19 hot spots and effect on hospitals, Northern Light Health consistently advocated for the need to include rural hospitals in COVID-19 financial support. Both priorities have been advanced in Congress and in COVID-19 public health emergency funding provided by federal DHHS. Work continues with AHA and Maine’s Congressional delegation to transition the COVID-19 telehealth flexibility waivers into permanent Medicare policy.

39