Mayo Clinic expresses cautious optimism as patient volume climbs to 60 percent capacity
After bringing normal operations to a near standstill in the face of Covid-19, Mayo Clinic now cites encouraging increases in appointments over the past two weeks. The uptick in volumes have Clinic officials cautiously optimistic for a return to normal capacity by the end of the year.
Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Bolton revealed the Clinic’s current operating capacity at last week’s Destination Medical Center Corporation board meeting. Bolton says Mayo’s current occupancy at the Rochester campus sits in the upper 60 percent range — a far cry from the Clinic’s capacity in March at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which Bolton estimated at less than 20 percent.
Related: On the podcast: Is it time to rethink DMC's priorities?
“After six weeks of very low volumes on our campuses, it really is wonderful to see our patients back in the halls once again, able to get the help they need from Mayo Clinic,” said Bolton.
According to Bolton, inpatient surgeries are operating at about 70 percent of capacity. Outpatient surgeries are at 80-100 percent, while total outpatient visits are also around 75 percent of normal. Bolton noted the geographical diversity of Mayo’s patients was encouraging, if only on the domestic level — he says there is a number of international patients waiting to come to Rochester for treatment.
“We are looking at the pent-up demand of international patients and how we bring them to campus safely,” said Bolton.
While things begin to improve for the Rochester-based health behemoth, Covid-19’s financial impact is still being felt across the Clinic’s operations. The slowdown in patient volumes led the Clinic to temporarily furlough or cut the hours of approximately 23,000 employees, and Bolton noted the financial issues will also affect Mayo’s construction plans for 2020. Two major projects scheduled to break ground this year have been postponed: the vertical expansion of the Gonda Building and the Discovery Square parking ramp.
The coming months for the Clinic, according to Bolton, should continue the current positive momentum. Appointments for the next three months are being scheduled at 85-90 percent capacity across all departments. Bolton says by the end of the year, the Clinic hopes to be back to 100 percent — although that does not mean things will be ‘normal.’
“We recognize that we will be living with Covid-19 for the foreseeable future, in our community and patient populations,” said Bolton. “Our focus is really on caring for people in the safest possible way — both Covid patients and non-Covid patients, as well as protecting our students, staff and visitors.”
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
Cover photo by William Forsman
