ASCs in Buffalo, N.Y., celebrated the return of elective procedures in Erie County, Buffalo Business First reported Jan. 26.
Despite being allowed to perform elective procedures during the shutdown, ASC owners told Buffalo Business First that hospitals restarting their programs increased access to patients in Erie County.
JoAnn Vecchio, administrator at Ambulatory Surgery Center of Western New York, called the resumption a sign "we are starting to win the battle against this virus."
The ban heavily affected facilities in the state. Buffalo-based Kaleida Health said volumes have been devastated. Its ASC typically performs 3,000-plus procedures a month. This lack of volume will likely cause the hospital to post a $100 million loss for 2020. The system believes it will recover in 2021.