COVID-19通过减薪和裁员打击了一些医疗工作者
Just three weeks ago, Dr. Kathryn Davis worried about the novel coronavirus but not about how it might impact her group of five OB-GYNs who practice at a suburban hospital outside Boston.
就在三周前，凯瑟琳·戴维斯博士担心新型冠状病毒，但不担心它会对她在波士顿郊外一家医院实习的五名妇产科医生产生什么影响。
"In medicine, we think we're relatively immune from the economy," Davis says.
“在医学界，我们认为自己相对而言不受经济影响，”戴维斯说。
"People are always going to get sick; people are always going to need doctors."
“人们总是会生病;人们总是需要医生。”
Then two weeks ago, she watched her practice revenue drop 50% almost overnight after Massachusetts officials told doctors and hospitals to stop performing elective tests and procedures. For Davis, that meant no more nonurgent gynecological visits and screenings.
两周前，她眼看着自己的诊所收入几乎一夜之间下降了50%，原因是马萨诸塞州官员要求医生和医院停止进行选择性检查和手术。对戴维斯来说，这意味着不再有非紧急妇访问和检查。
Late last week, as Davis and her partners absorbed the stunning turn of events, they devised a stop-gap plan. The 35 nurses, medical assistants and secretaries they employ would have two options: move from full time to part time or start collecting unemployment. Doctors in the practice would take a substantial pay cut. Davis says she's hearing from colleagues who may have to permanently close their offices if the focus on crisis-level care continues for months.
上周晚些时候，当戴维斯和她的伙伴们沉浸在这一令人震惊的转折之中时，他们想出了一个权宜之计。他们雇佣的35名护士、医疗助理和秘书有两种选择:从全职转为兼职，或者开始领取失业救济金。行医的医生会被大幅减薪。戴维斯说，她听到一些同事说，如果对危机级医疗的关注持续几个月，他们可能不得不永久关闭办公室。
Patient volume way down
病人数量下降
Atrius Health, the largest independent physician group in Massachusetts, says patient volume is down 75% since mid-March. It is temporarily closing offices, placing many nonclinical employees on furlough and withholding pay for those who remain. The average withholding is 20%, and the company pledges that pay withheld will be returned. The lowest-paid workers, those earning up to $55.000. are exempt.
马萨诸塞州最大的独立医师团体Atrius Health说，自3月中旬以来，病人数量下降了75%。它暂时关闭了一些办公室，让许多非临床工作人员暂时休假，并扣留那些留下来的员工的工资。平均预扣20%，公司承诺会退还预扣的工资。收入在5.5万美元以下的最低工资工人可以被豁免。
"What we're trying to do is piece together a solution to get through the crisis and keep employed as many people as we can," said Atrius CEO Dr. Steve Strongwater.
Atrius首席执行官史蒂夫·斯特朗沃特博士表示:“我们正在努力拼凑出一个解决方案，以度过危机，并尽可能多地留住员工。”
Strongwater said physician groups must be included when the federal government distributes $100 billion to hospitals from the $2 trillion stimulus package.
斯特朗沃特说，当联邦政府从2万亿美元的经济刺激计划中拿出1.000亿美元分配给医院时，必须将医师团体包括在内。
A 'seismic financial shock'
“地震般的金融冲击”
Dallas-based Steward Health Care has told hospital employees in Massachusetts and the eight other states where it operates to expect furloughs focused on nonclinical staff.
总部位于达拉斯的Steward Health Care已告知马萨诸塞州和其他八个州的医院员工，将对非临床工作人员实施强制休假。
In a statement, Steward Health Care said it prepared for the pandemic but is experiencing a "seismic financial shock."
世卫组织在一份声明中说，它已经为大流行做好了准备，但目前正在经历一场“地震般的金融冲击”。
"Elective surgeries are the cornerstone of our hospital system's operating model — and the negative impact due to the cancellations of these procedures cannot be overstated. In addition, patients are understandably cautious and choosing to defer any non-emergency treatments or routine visits until this crisis has passed."
“择期手术是我们医院系统运作模式的基石，取消这些手术的负面影响怎么强调都不过分。”此外，可以理解的是，病人都很谨慎，他们选择推迟任何非紧急治疗或常规访问，直到危机过去。”
