A senior official with a large national consulting firm says he is concerned about the impact of the opioid crisis on the health care industry.
In a recent interview, the consultant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he and his team are increasingly worried about a potential “recession” in the healthcare sector.
The consultant, a former senior director of the American College of Radiology, said the crisis has resulted in a “lack of awareness” among medical providers about how the opioid epidemic is affecting them and their patients.
“We are at a crossroads right now,” the consultant said.
“We are seeing a lot of folks who are having to make tough choices.
And it’s not just physicians.
It’s also people in nursing homes, it’s also those in hospitals.
And we’re not seeing them make the right choices.”
The consultants’ concerns echo those of other health care experts, who say they fear the opioid addiction crisis is threatening the long-term viability of the entire medical profession.
Experts are also concerned that a growing number of hospitals are turning to new drugs to combat the devastating opioid epidemic, a trend that has created an even greater demand for care and led to a shortage of qualified doctors, nursing homes and other facilities.
According to the American Medical Association, there are currently more than 7,000 U.S. hospitals with at least one doctor shortage, with more than 3,000 of them in states with high unemployment rates.
While some doctors may have been forced to consider leaving the profession after a patient died in their care, others may have simply been forced out of their current positions because they simply couldn’t cope with the demands of the job.
And many of those doctors may be turning to alternative medicine, as a means of helping them manage the debilitating pain and physical strain that comes with the diagnosis of a disease.
A shortage of primary care physicians is a major problem in rural and rural-based areas of the country.
A recent survey by the American Hospital Association found that about 4 million people are either “unemployed, on disability or have other factors making it difficult for them to receive health care” — meaning they are either underemployed or not receiving health care from a job.
A shortage of nursing homes is also a concern, as more nursing homes are being built to accommodate the growing number who are being admitted into nursing homes.
More than 40% of Americans are currently without access to adequate health care services, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health care experts say a growing share of the overall health care workforce is finding themselves in a precarious situation, with many nursing homes closing and more hospitals having to close their doors.
Many of these workers are facing severe financial and emotional stress.
The consultants are concerned that this could lead to increased costs for healthcare providers, particularly as more states and counties with high opioid addiction rates increase Medicaid spending.
Dr. Daniel Sussman, a professor of health care management at the University of Michigan, says the opioid overdose crisis has forced the healthcare industry to confront its role in the epidemic.
It’s not a good time to be in the business of medicine, he said.
He also said it’s important to note that the opioid prescription rate in the U.K. is lower than in many other developed nations, as is the use of other opioids, like heroin.
In an email to The Washington Post, Dr. Sussmans chief of staff, Mark Wilson, said there are still “hundreds of thousands of prescriptions” for opioids that the U to take care of patients who need opioid medications.
“While the medical profession will continue to fight this epidemic, our patients will continue struggling with the consequences of this crisis,” Wilson said.
The consulting firm also noted that in recent months, the number of doctors who have lost their jobs due to the opioid issue has increased.
Its president, Andrew Pareles, added that the number is “still growing” but that the increase has been slowing in recent weeks.
Sussmans firm is one of several large firms that has filed for bankruptcy protection in the past year, including several major hospital chains that have suffered financial setbacks, and more than 30 others that are in negotiations for bankruptcy.