SALT LAKE CITY — In an effort to free up hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, Intermountain Healthcare said they may postpone some elective surgeries that require a hospital stay as part of the recovery process.
As surge plans are activated at facilities, Intermountain says this is a, "necessary and appropriate step given the sharp spike in hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19."
Patients who will be affected by will be notified and their procedures will be rescheduled after the surge subsides.
“Our intent is to continue to provide surgical care where possible and make adjustments as needed as our resources get stressed,” said Rob Ferguson, MD, Intermountain’s senior medical director of surgical operations. “Rather than introduce a blanket postponement of cases like we did in the spring, we have a fine-tuned process at each hospital that allows us greater precision in balancing the surgical needs of our patients with the resources available at each hospital.”
Intermountian has asked Utahns to wear a mask, participate in social distancing, wash hands and limit traditional Thanksgiving gatherings.
Dr. Ferguson said, "As we see a drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations, we will be able conserve resources, ease staffing concerns, and resume our standard surgical operations."
