COVID-19 has impact on staffing, long-term effects on patients

The fear of getting infected with COVID-19 kept many people at home—no trips to the hospital or clinics or even doctor’s offices in many cases. But that doesn’t mean those would-be patients didn’t need help.
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) last year, mental health issues, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation drastically increased during the pandemic. Now with more people getting vaccinated, children back in school full time, and travel resuming, patients are flooding emergency departments, clinics, and even their primary care physician’s office.
But more patients mean more clinicians are needed. That’s the flipside of the issue; there aren’t enough clinicians to cover the demand. That’s why there has been ...