Hospitals and health systems across the U.S. continue to cancel and postpone elective surgeries this week to divert resources to treating COVID-19 patients.
Six updates:
1. Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev., extended its Dec. 2 postponement of elective surgeries indefinitely, according to a Dec. 17 report in the Reno Gazette Journal. Initially the postponement was for two weeks.
2. Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho canceled inpatient and outpatient elective surgeries through Jan. 10 because of rising COVID-19 hospitalizations and staff shortages, the health system announced on Dec. 16.
3. New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker sent a letter to hospital leaders Dec. 16 outlining a strategy to make more bed space available across the state to handle expected COVID-19 surges, according to Spectrum News NY 1. Mr. Zucker said hospitalizations may increase through mid-January and "capacity will be a major battle."
4. New York City public hospitals canceled elective surgeries Dec. 15 to preserve hospital capacity and resources for COVID-19 patients, according to the New York Times.
5. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health limited nonessential adult elective surgeries at its hospitals in Clemmons, Forsyth County and Kernersville on Dec. 15. It is continuing surgeries at Medical Park Hospital and its ASCs, according to a report in the Winston-Salem Journal.
6. St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township, Pa., postponed nonurgent surgeries, according to a Dec. 18 report in the Courier Times.