LINCOLN, Neb. – Effective Wednesday, March 25, Bryan Medical Center, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, CHI Health Nebraska Heart and Lincoln Surgical Hospital will postpone elective surgeries and procedures in response to COVID-19. With this change, patients with elective surgeries scheduled in the next few weeks can expect their procedure to be postponed. This collaborative decision was made with the safety of patients, providers, nurses and other facility staff in mind.
An elective procedure, in this case, would be defined as one that can be postponed 90 days without significantly impacting the well-being of the patient. This decision will be at the discretion of local physicians and with guidance from the American College of Surgeons and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The action will allow hospitals to concentrate resources where they’re needed should we see an increase in critically ill COVID-19 patients. It also helps preserve medical supplies and blood for emergent cases and anticipate future COVID-19 related admissions.
The decision to stop elective surgery cases was made by senior leaders of the organizations, CEO John Woodrich at Bryan, President Derek Vance at St. Elizabeth and Nebraska Heart and CEO Robb Linafelter at Lincoln Surgical. The action was taken with full support of physician leadership at all three organizations, including Ken Gross, MD at Bryan, Michael Rapp, MD at St. Elizabeth and Greg Sutton, MD at Lincoln Surgical.
To view the original press release, click here.
