Hartford Business Journal

19 Hartford Business Journal | April 5, 2021 | HartfordBusiness.com Trinity Health Of New England Urges Patients to Maintain Medical Care in Waning Stages of Pandemic SPONSORED CONTENT Reggy Eadie, M.D. CEO, Trinity Health Of New England S ince the onset of the pandemic Trinity Health Of New England has answered the call of duty to serve the community when and where it has been needed the most. That has meant responding quickly and appropriately to the demands of fighting COVID-19, while continuing to care for patients with non-COVID- related needs. But across the medical community, there is growing concern about a drop in patients seeking care for preventative screenings, procedures, and even emergent medical attention. In a conversation with Trinity Health Of New England's President and CEO, Dr. Reggy Eadie, an Emergency Department physician, we dive into why, and the impact this may have on our nation's health in the future. Q: When did the decline in non- COVID-19 patients occur, and what types of patients appear to not be seeking care right now? A: We've seen up to a 50 percent drop in patients coming to the hospital for non- COVID-related care during each medical surge of COVID-19 patients throughout the last year. Strikingly, for emergency departments, that includes a material drop in patients seeking help for life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, appendicitis, and gallbladder disease. I think it's time to communicate to communities across the state that they cannot afford to stay at home and ignore the warning signs of these conditions. Q: What is the concern from doctors if patients continue to put off medical care? A: Ignoring the signs of a serious condition could lead to death, physical impairments, or other long-term health issues. Look, we've been in this pandemic for more than a year, and exams should be at least an annual event. Telehealth has been ideal, and we will continue to offer it, but it's not the same as being physically examined by your doctor. And, preventative screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies are vital for catching diseases before they progress too far to be treated. Q: What does this mean for the future of the healthcare industry as we get close to putting COVID-19 at bay? A: Right now, the coronavirus is the number one cause of death in the United States. But heart disease, stroke, and cancer haven't gone away. High blood pressure is the silent killer, and as we transition out of the pandemic, those three conditions will return to the top three. Under normal circumstances when people are going to their annual exams, we're able to catch these issues early. Many cancers, for example, are diagnosed in early stages. But now, a cancer that might have been in stage one a year ago could have progressed to life-threatening stages during the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic era people would have gone to their doctor or the Emergency Department for certain signs, but out of fear, have ignored them. Q: But is it really safe to go to the hospital? A: Yes. In fact, from an infectious disease perspective, one of the safest places to be right now is in the hospital. Just make sure your hospital has done its part to ensure the safety of you and your family. For example, more than 75% of Trinity Health Of New England colleagues have been vaccinated, equivalent to herd immunity within this healthcare system. Among the several safety protocols in place, they have pre- procedural testing, plus every one of our Emergency Departments has additional safety measures for the protection of our patients, including screenings upon entry, enhanced cleaning measures, and designated COVID-free zones. Our consumers are not sitting in our waiting rooms when they choose to come to a Trinity Health Of New England Emergency Department. Instead, they are transitioned directly into a screening room, and seen by a provider within our 29-minutes. It's our guarantee. We are safe. We are open. We are fast. You can learn more at TrinityHealthOfNE.org/ER. Q: What is your message to friends, family members, community members or existing patients who still have reservations about seeing a doctor in person? A: As an emergency room physician, I am reminded of a maxim we often use, "time is tissue". When someone shows signs of a problem, the longer you wait, the more destruction occurs to the tissue, and the tougher the problem is to solve. The body will always tell a person when something is wrong. I implore patients to no longer ignore the signs and symptoms to ensure that we live longer and healthier lives. Now is the time to seek help.

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