COVID-19-related elective surgical procedure cancellations are on the rise as hospitals work to preserve bed capacity. Buffalo Business First spoke to two healthcare executives, collecting insights on how to handle canceled procedures and fight the second wave of the disease Nov. 12.
Prioritize staff and patient safety above the revenue elective procedures produce, Andrew Davis, COO at Buffalo, N.Y.-based Erie County Medical Center, told Buffalo Business First. The medical center formed a COVID-19 task force that developed safety protocols the hospital uses to prevent spread within the hospital.
Buffalo-based Kaleida Health implemented a dual-care delivery system for treating COVID-19 patients and normal patients that it will use for the next 12 to 24 months, and has also shifted some surgeries from its main campus to its surgery center, according to COO Donald Boyd. Mr. Boyd said to Buffalo Business First, "COVID-19 requires its own system of care with unique care pathways, protocols and corresponding safety models."
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