Part of the Louisiana economy comes back on line today: non-emergency medical procedures. Health care providers in the region say a lot of people need it, when doctors will be able to start seeing thousands of patients about matters that just can't wait anymore.
"I think we've now delayed well over 6,000 surgeries and procedures," said Ochsner Health System President and CEO Warner Thomas.
"We will reopen and start doing more surgeries for time-sensitive procedures," said Thomas. "You know, frankly, some of these issues have been delayed, and we need to get back to helping these folks."
Thomas says they believe some patients have even been putting off emergencies -- because the usual number of visits they would get for things like heart attacks and strokes have dropped.
"We are concerned that people are delaying," he said.
And the resumption of these procedures is also important for the bottom line of hospitals and health care systems around the region. Thomas didn't give exact dollar amounts but did say that the pause in voluntary procedures has had a significant impact on revenue.
"Our clinics are down 60 to 70 percent, our outpatient procedures, imaging, outpatient surgeries, other procedures are down 60, 70 percent," Thomas said. "It's had a major impact on our revenue."