Although many Florida hospitals reopened for non-emergency medical procedures on Monday, they found themselves in an unanticipated position: convincing patients to return.
After six weeks of hearing that hospitals are ground zero for the COVID-19 crisis, some South Floridians say they are too afraid of catching the virus to go to one.
Florida’s hospitals held news conferences, put out newsletters, wrote op-ed pieces — even rolled out a red carpet Monday to encourage people to schedule the surgeries or medical treatments they had postponed
“We’re trying to get the message out there that it’s safe to go to a hospital,” said Crystal Stickle, acting president of the Florida Hospital Association.