As key coronavirus public health metrics continue to decline, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has entered the second phase of its reopening plan, resuming most elective procedures and in-person critical care after a nearly three-month hiatus that caused deep financial losses for the facility.

And like the rest of the state, hospital officials said Wednesday that they hoped to achieve a “new normal” in the coming weeks, with the resumption, in some capacity, of all of their services by July.

“There are very few things in this phase that aren’t allowed as long as we do it carefully,” said Claire Seguin, hospital chief operating officer and head nurse. “I would say all the services that we normally provide, will be provided in some fashion.”

“The work that is taking place at the hospital is moving at lightning speed,” hospital president and CEO Denise Schepici added.

The hospital closed its front entrance to the public in mid-March, halting elective procedures and most in-person care at the facility due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. A triage tent went up outside the emergency room entrance for patients, and the building was rapidly transformed to handle Covid-positive patients while limiting access for others.

At a press briefing Wednesday hosted by Ms. Schepici, Ms. Seguin and spokesman Katrina Delgadillo, leaders confirmed that the suspension of elective procedures and other aspects of in-person care, including rehabilitation services, meant the loss of millions of dollars in revenue.

Ms. Schepici estimated that the hospital lost approximately $750,000 per week during the height of the pandemic and just under $8 million overall.

“The financial hit of having to put surgeries on hold were significant,” she said.

The hospital, a nonprofit that is owned by Partners Healthcare, has an approximately $100 million operating budget, according to its 2019 annual report. Roughly 70 per cent of the budget goes to staff salaries, benefits and contract labor, while nearly all revenues come from patient services.

The hospital operates on fairly slim margins, with fundraising and endowment dividends helping to keep the hospital in the black or breaking even.

“It’s a very delicate balancing act, and philanthropy compliments that significantly for us each year,” Ms. Schepici said.

The hospital received a substantial loan from the CARES Act that has offset the losses in the short-term, she said, including $16 million in advance payments. Ms. Schepici said the hospital is lobbying to make the money a forgivable loan.

But Ms. Schepici said giving has also been significant in recent months, with more than $500,000 in otherwise unsolicited donations since the pandemic began. The hospital brought in just over $1 million in 2019 from fundraising, according to the annual report.

“Donors have just been phenomenal,” Ms. Schepici said.

With the resumption of elective procedures, she said she hoped finances would come back onto steady ground. Last week, the hospital restarted some limited procedures, including endoscopies and the removal of cancerous lesions.

This week marked the biggest step toward reopening, with elective procedures like colonoscopies and podiatry visits returning, the expansion of rehab visits for patients with significant functional impairments, and essential nurse outpatient visits resuming as well. By June 15, the hospital plans to restart cardiology visits on-site, expand pediatric preventative care, dental and orthopedic visits, and up the volume of primary care visits.

The hospital also plans to expand operating room and emergency room capabilities, and transition all hospital providers back to the facility by early July, including physical therapists and rehabilitation services.

Ms Seguin said the expansion of care into phase two would not prevent the facility from re-instituting some of its pandemic lockdown measures or surge capacity if an uptick in cases were to occur. She said the hospital closely monitors key public health metrics, like hospitalizations, cases and deaths, daily.

Some changes, like the transition to telehealth visits, will likely continue, especially after receiving positive feedback from patients.

“We’ve been working really hard to introduce telehealth on the Island for many years,” Ms. Schepici said. “This could be a better normal if we get that to stick.”

Meanwhile, she expressed excitement about getting back to business.

“Our daily charges are starting to creep up as our volume creeps up again,” Ms. Schepici said. “The dollars are really in the procedural visits, so it’s good to see those coming back, both for patients and the health of our bottom line.”