Fox News’ Brit Hume says lockdown measures have made UAB a ‘hospital in distress’

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April 28, 2020

Citing a Yellowhammer News article outlining the significant losses UAB Hospital is facing, Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume remarked that the facility is suffering under measures originally intended to ease the COVID-19 burden.

UAB Hospital is projected to lose about $70 million per month under restrictions preventing elective procedures and many other clinical activities, according to UAB Medicine CEO Will Ferniany.

Hume has consistently criticized policies which have prevented hospitals across the country from conducting normal business. Based on Ferniany’s assessment that UAB Hospital stands to lose $230 million by the end of its fiscal year, Hume placed it in the category of “another hospital in distress.”

Another hospital in distress as a result of measures taken to protect hospitals. This is happening all over the country. https://t.co/Itgh12CWSt

— Brit Hume (@brithume) April 27, 2020

In order to recover from this loss, Ferniany added that UAB Hospital is attempting to reopen for normal business “as quickly and safely as possible.”

UAB Hospital’s occupancy rate has dropped from its approximate normal of 92% to now only running at about 60% occupancy. Daily surgeries have decreased from around 155 to about 57.

UAB has cared for roughly 25% of Alabama’s COVID-19-positive in-patient population, according to the hospital. “This is by far more than any other hospital in the state,” UAB said in an email to members of the media.

Yellowhammer News’ Sean Ross reported on Monday that UAB Hospital’s inpatient COVID-19 cases had dropped to 37.

.@UABNews announces UAB Hospital down to 37 coronavirus-positive patients as of today at 8:00 am. This is the lowest I’ve seen in weeks (it had dipped to 38 on April 13 but had ticked back up into the low-mid 40’s since).@uabmedicine pic.twitter.com/qfJOfjMyWm

— Sean Ross (@sean_yhn) April 27, 2020

Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia

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