El Paso, Texas-based Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare suspended its non-emergency and outpatient surgery programs July 13 to free up beds and staffing to accommodate COVID-19 patients, KFox14 reports.
The hospital said the delay will also help it preserve personal protective equipment.
Las Palmas is also sending patients in need of physical therapy to nearby rehabilitation centers, like El Paso-based Cobalt Rehabilitation Center.
Jimmy Moody, chief therapy officer for Cobalt, said his center has seen an increase in patients because of it. Mr. Moody said: "The hospitals that have inpatient rehab units, they also need to make beds available … now to accommodate for the increase of patients with COVID."
It's unclear how many beds Las Palmas has freed up from the suspension and patient transfer programs.