Thousands of US medical workers furloughed, laid off as routine patient visits drop during coronavirus pandemic
April 2, 2020 / Kim Norvell, Jayne O’Donnell, USA TODAY
Dotty Orr took time off from her job as a receptionist for a primary care physician in Akron, Ohio, to get her knee replaced March 4.
Thursday, she found out she’s not going back.
Orr, 64, worked for Dr. Pennie Marchetti for eight years. Marchetti laid off Orr and a part-time nurse as patient visits dropped nearly 80% during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Marchetti said she hopes to bring her staff back when her workload picks back up, but no one knows when that will be.
“I feel guilty not being at work,” said Orr, who faces an $8,000 bill for her surgery.
Orr joins thousands of health care workers across the nation who have been laid off, furloughed or are working reduced hours as their services are deemed nonessential and patients skip routine visits during an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, based on reporting from advocacy groups and from news stories from across the nation.
