Commonwealth Health Resume Outpatient Surgeries and Elective Procedures
5/18/2020
Patients who have delayed surgery or other non-emergency procedures can now work with their physician to secure care as Commonwealth Health resumes some outpatient elective services and inpatient elective surgeries.
Our hospitals are following Governor Tom Wolf's Executive Order allowing some elective surgeries and procedures in hospitals with a low or no-COVID-19 census. Safety remains the highest priority at all hospitals.
Numerous precautions for infection prevention, access control, social distancing and patient flow are in place to maintain a safe environment of care. Everyone who enters the building, including staff, is screened, and all employees, physicians and patients are expected to wear masks. The daily number of procedures performed is being limited and furniture in waiting areas has been spaced to maintain appropriate social distancing. Cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and caregiving spaces has been intensified. Visitor restrictions for inpatients remain in effect, with exceptions for laboring mothers, pediatric patients, and end-of-life situations.
“We are carefully laying the groundwork to reopen elective procedures, our physicians and caregivers are committed to keeping every patient safe,” said Patrick D. Conaboy, MD, Commonwealth Health Scranton, Chief Medical Officer. “All necessary measures will be taken to ensure a safe environment during this phased process. We also want to remind everyone that it is safe – and necessary – to seek immediate help in an emergency department for serious health emergencies like chest pain, heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening conditions.”
Non-COVID-19-care zones are have been defined in the hospital, where patients who are screened as negative for COVID-19. If, at any time, we are caring for COVID-19 positive patients in the hospital, those patients are grouped together in the same unit away from all other patients.
All patients scheduling surgery or other invasive procedures will be tested for COVID-19 in advance of the procedure. Our hospitals are closely monitoring their inventory of test kits, personal protective equipment, medications and other needed supplies to ensure sufficient resources to support the number of patients in care.
Commonwealth Health Physician Network practices are open. Telehealth will continue to be available for visits as needed.
Our plan to restart elective procedures at the appropriate time is made in consultation with the board of trustees, medical executive committee and surgical leadership and follows all local, state and federal guidelines. Hours for surgery and outpatient diagnostic and imaging procedures will be extended to help catch up on cases that had been postponed.
To help answer patients’ questions about seeking care, a list of frequently asked questions has been added to the hospital’s website.
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