The 1,000-bed USNS Comfort, a hospital ship that in the past has provided humanitarian relief around the world, is now anchored on Pier 90 in Manhattan to provide humanitarian relief as COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronarvirus, ravages New York City, now the epicenter of the pandemic. Also in New York City, the famed Jacob Javits Center has been converted to a 1,200-bed field hospital by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In the meantime, the White House is warning the nation to expect the worst, reporting that up to 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 could occur. As President Trump put it, “this is going to be a very, very painful two weeks.”

The broadcast includes the following updates, and then segue to the town hall:

• Alvin Gore, MD, CHCQM, is a physician advisor and director of utilization management at St. Joseph Health in Sonoma County, Calif, and also a member of the board of directors of the American College of Physician Advisors;
  
  
• Matt Lambert, MD, an emergency medicine doctor and the chief medical officer (CMO) for Curation Health;
  
  
• Dennis Jones, administrator of patient financial services for Montefiore Nyack Hospital in Nyack, N.Y., and a frequent panelist on Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays; and
  
  
• Howard Stein, DO, MHA, CHCQM-PHYSADV, associate director of medical affairs and a senior physician advisor at CentraState Health System in Freehold, N.J.
  
  
• Legislative Update: Former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) official Matthew Albright, now chief legislative affairs officer for Zelis, will report on pending legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser, shareholder in the law offices of Fredrikson & Bryon, will join the broadcast with his trademark segment, in which he reports on problematic issues facing providers.
  
  
• Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 RCM, will be making his Monday Rounds with another installment of his popular segment.