CentraCare Business Down By Half Since Mid-March

ST. CLOUD -- As CentraCare prepares for a spike in COVID-19 cases in central Minnesota it's actually been pretty quiet at most of their facilities for several weeks now. On March 23rd the Governor issued an executive order that doesn't allow for any elective procedures at any of the state's healthcare facilities.

CentraCare CEO and President Dr. Ken Holmen says it's having an impact on their budget.

Our normal business is down by half and we recognize that.  It is part of our commitment to our communities.  We have maintained all of our employees because we need them when the surge does hit.

Some staff has transitioned into a virtual care role. Dr. George Morris says they've also reassigned many on staff to prepare for more ICU patients.

We're identifying the people that may not be busy right now, we'll call it training them up or giving them reminders on how to provide care for respiratory patients.

The Governor's Stay At Home orders and the social distancing are meant to delay when the peak in cases arrives in Minnesota. The latest modeling is projecting that could begin sometime in mid-May and may last for several weeks.