Medical Layoffs

It may seem strange during a pandemic... but some doctors, nurses and others in the medical field are seeing their hours cut.

Good evening everyone..

It may seem strange during a pandemic... but some doctors, nurses and others in the medical field are seeing their hours cut.

Furloughs will soon begin at north mississippi medical health services, where their volume of patients has decreased up to 60 percent in the last three weeks.

Even dentists are seeing the impact.

Our stephanie poole joins us live with more on the challenges they're facing.

That's right joey, clinical offices are adjusting to new routines and new hours.

With fewer patients going to specialized practices, there are fewer people working in medical and dental offices..

For example.

However, they still want to make sure patients are receiving care.

"literally it was like turning off a water facet.

From coming out full blast to nothing.

For the last three weeks it's been very very limited."

Dr. blake balzil's says his general family dentistry business, in starkville, is seeing all-time record low patient numbers because of covid- 19.

Without patients, no employees are needed.

" i have six staff member that depend on me.

I love them and want to help and keep them going too but when you literally have that decrease of the patient flow which is obviously necessary of what we're dealing with it's tough."

Dr. wesley ferguson of ferguson and coats general dentistry says his practise only sees patients on an urgent need basis.

" we want the hospitals to be available and do able to treat covid and covid related problems. so the last thing we need we need as a community are our patients showing up at baptist or och with a tooth problem..... with all of these changes, doctors in the medical field are staying in contact with patients telecommunication .

Dr. tim boden of physicians and surgeons clinic says, although, his employees have been cut they're still taking appointments over the phone.

"doctors can connect via on the telephone or the cellphone and conduct a visit.

If it's a visit where we don't have to put our hands on it's a visit where we don't have to put our hands on the patient and just talk about medication, and give advice, and everything else that would into a medical encounter."

Butt sots "sometimesometimes it's just looking at the i- phones and saying hey can you text me a picture of that.

And it's just reassuring patients that should be fine.

And other times, it's like no we need to go ahead and see you.it's a tough north mississippi health services says its senior leadership team took a 25-percent reduction in salaries.

To continue to match patient volumes with staffing they will begin a furlough starting on april 13th.

Reporting live in columbus, stephanie poole, wcbi news.

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