Scale, Efficiency Key to Provider Success in 2021 and Beyond

The number of facilities and square footage a system like UW Health needs for in-person care will look different and likely smaller in 2021, Flannery explained.

COVID-19 had a significant impact on the system at the start of the pandemic, driving down monthly in-person ambulatory care by 60 percent, surgical cases by 58 percent, and inpatient days by 40 percent. UW Health is recovering from the dramatic declines, but transformations to get there, including remote work when appropriate and the explosion of virtual care, are also leading executives to rethink the number of in-person care sites they need to deliver high-quality, patient-friendly, affordable care.

But while some efficiencies are being found by shifting more employees to remote work when appropriate and right-sizing capabilities in light of new virtual care options, other efficiencies can be leveraged through expansion.