Delayed Diagnosis Due to Covid-19 Pandemic

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, during the coronavirus pandemic, American doctors, nurses, technicians, and first responders have cared for patients day in and day out. On the front lines, medical teams have worked tirelessly to care for the coronavirus patients under extraordinary circumstances.

Across the country, we formed a united front against an invisible enemy as medical professions of all stripes pitched in to help, from volunteering their time to donating valuable personal protective equipment to the emergency rooms, the hospitals, and the organizations that needed it the most.

As Americans were asked to stay at home, teams quickly transitioned to telemedicine to provide vital care to vulnerable populations. They took the initiative and developed creative solutions to ensure that patients could receive the care that they so much need.

During this crisis, America's medical community has stepped up during and throughout to provide care and save lives. They truly, too, are heroes.

Now, the work continues. We must acknowledge a secondary healthcare crisis that is occurring in our Nation.

Beginning in March, many hospitals, under the direction of national, State, and local authorities, postponed elective procedures with the goal of slowing the spread of the virus and saving the precious PPE and supplies for those who needed it the most.

Americans, following stay-at-home orders, delayed important medical care, and subsequently, too many have suffered negative healthcare outcomes that could have been prevented.

Earlier this spring, I wrote a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, urging him and his administration to prioritize the comprehensive health needs of all Pennsylvanians during this crisis.

In my experience alone, I have heard tragic stories from colleagues whose patients have died from cardiac emergencies, from drug overdoses, and from other negative outcomes that could have been prevented.

Six months into this crisis, we are facing an imminent need to restore America's full access to care, including preventive screenings.

My good friend and colleague, Dr. Bruce Waldholtz, is a gastroenterologist and also a longtime volunteer leader of the American Cancer Society. Dr. Waldholtz, as a cancer survivor himself, understands firsthand that a doctor, a patient, needs preventative healthcare.

As he told me this week: ``Due to the COVID restrictions, all nonemergency colonoscopies were canceled for several months. Literally, hundreds of patients in our practice had their colonoscopies canceled. This delay, compounded nationally, will result in less screening and an increase in colon cancer cases right now and in years ahead.''

Colonoscopies and other preventative screenings save lives. Elective procedures are not unnecessary, and in many cases, they find disease early before they can become metastatic and cancerous and spread.

Today, many doctors are playing catch-up as they seek to safely provide care to their patients. As I said, the work continues.

I urge Americans: Talk to your doctors and schedule the lifesaving screenings that can definitely make a difference in your healthcare.

As we continue to combat the coronavirus crisis and its many ramifications, I thank our medical teams for their unwavering dedication to American patients. Despite the obstacles we face, together, we can improve Americans' access to the quality healthcare and, together, we can save lives.

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