It’s been roughly two months since Gov. Larry Hogan issued a stay-at-home order to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our state. In that time, we at MHA, and all of Maryland, have been inspired by your teams every day. The dedicated people at hospitals answered the call quickly and with full force. Those efforts have saved many lives.

It seems Maryland reached the peak in COVID-19 hospitalizations about a week ago. This was welcome news that Gov. Larry Hogan capped off this week by lifting our state’s stay-at-home order and replacing it, effective yesterday, with a “safer at home public health advisory.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 emergency, we’ve seen people world over—and here in Maryland—find unique and heartwarming ways to show support and appreciation for hospital workers. They’ve donated precious protective gear, delivered meals and goodies, and posted messages of thanks on your campuses and online for your health care heroes.

As your hospitals shore up supplies and staff to care for the surge of COVID-19 patients, you’re also seeing a remarkable decline in other patients—those with emergency care needs. Rightly, much of our attention is focused on responding to this public health emergency and making sure you have the resources in place to deliver life-saving care. Yet, it’s important also to understand why Marylanders are avoiding emergency departments. Incredibly, some hospitals report seeing half or even less of the volume they did pre-COVID in their EDs.