When most people think of health care right now, theyre thinking about the hospitals and critical care units that are scrambling to care for COVID-19 patients. But a large swath of the private health care sector is scrambling, too, looking for ways to treat illnesses and injuries that have nothing to do with the new coronavirus.

Louisianas stay-at-home order has prohibited all non-urgent medical services, delivering a big financial hit to the thousands of private doctors in the Baton Rouge area who can no longer see most of their patients.

Our goal is we want to keep people from having to go to the ER or an urgent care, so they dont get exposed or overwhelm the health care centers, says Dr. Linsey Hall of the Dermatology Clinic in Baton Rouge.

The clinic is currently seeing only about 15% of the amount of its regular patient base, she says. That drop stands to have a significant effect on the clinic.

Our livelihood is seeing patients, Hall says.

The clinic is continuing to pay its more than 60 employees while working with only a small, rotating crew of essential personnel and following social distancing protocols, she says.

Medical offices still operating are implementing the recommended screenings for the patients that do come through their doors, checking for any COVID-19 symptoms, practicing social distancing and using protective equipment.

Our hospital partners are counting on us to help provide care and catch the patients who may have otherwise gone directly to the ER, NeuroMedical Center CEO Ben Boudreaux says.

For patients with intractable pain, neurological conditions like MS, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, or epilepsy, it is crucial that they receive a continuation of medical services, he says.

We do not want their conditions to deteriorate throughout this period, nor do we want them to experience any undue pain, Boudreaux says.

Dr. John Brantley at Calais Dermatology Associates says despite a loss in business, he has no plans to shut down. Hes looking to small business grant programs in the new federal stimulus package to help him get staff back to work more quickly when restrictions lift.

BR Orthopedics General Manager Trey Williamson says they see about 10% to 15% of their normal surgical caseload and just 20% to 25% of their in-clinic visits.

Really in our world, a lot of what we do is elective, Williamson says. So they have to postpone cases for 30 days while they wait on new guidance from the department of health.

For the cases that cant wait, the group created a sub-specialty committee to review each case to determine if it should go forward.

While theyve considered layoffs and furloughs, BR Orthopedics has retained all full-time staff and is still generating some delayed revenue as insurance payments come closer to the 30-day mark from last months appointments, he says.

The Dermatology Clinic, NeruoMedical, Calais and BR Orthopedic have all turned to telemedicine to keep patientsand incomeflowing. That could signal a permanent shift in how health care is provided in the long term. But telemedicine, too, takes manpower, Hall says.

While the clinic has talked about using telemedicine before, this is the first time its been implemented at the Dermatology Clinic, Hall says.

The NeuroMedical Center Clinic launched comprehensive telemed services this week, already reporting patient counts near 200. Brantley, too, launched his telemedicine platform just yesterday through an expedited program. BR Orthopedics had used telemed before, but expanded it this week at a much higher level, Williamson says.

As people start to talk about recovery, questions have arisen about when these private doctors will be able to return to work.

Certainly there are discussions about when we can get back to work where it wont be a huge burden on public health, or the safety of patients, or the safety of the community in general, Williamson says.

Yet, with such a new virus and no vaccine, older people are really afraid of this problem and rightfully so, Brantley says, adding that could have lingering effects.

When next years Mardi Gras rolls around, he says, you wont see a Mardi Gras like people are used to seeing.

Read more:

How private medicine is dealing with coronavirus restrictions - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report