Sunshine State started wondering
whether another mandatory statewide
pause in elective surgeries was imminent.
In late July, a number of organizations
were performing only emergent elective
procedures and HCA Partners, a promi-
nent hospital chain, temporarily suspend-
ed the scheduling of all elective surgeries.
But despite a concerning influx in new
COVID-19 cases, surgical professionals
were adamant about continuing to per-
form elective procedures.
"Just because surgeries are elective
doesn't mean they aren't important,"
says Beth Davis, CASC, administrator at
Physicians Surgical Care Center in
Winter Park, Fla. "We can't cut off
health benefits for months without dire
long-term issues for many people."
Should a second mandatory stoppage
of elective procedures occur, Ms. Davis
fears there will be grave consequences
for healthcare facilities and patients —
consequences she believes should be
avoided at all costs.
Mr. Prentice is confident that facili-
ties in states that are current COVID-19
hotspots can stay open and operate
safely. He doesn't think individual sur-
gery centers will remain open if their
PPE supplies are insufficient or if the
testing and screening protocols in place
are ineffective.
"As long as facilities continue with recommended
strategies, there's no reason to postpone surgeries
going forward," says Mr. Prentice. "ASCA and medical
societies have advised on the necessity of these safety
measures, and I'm sure that surgery centers are doing
the right thing for their patients and their staff."
Mr. Prentice points out that urgent and emergent
procedures were performed at many ASCs during
the height of facility closures because some proce-
dures are elective in name only. "That infection
risks are lower in outpatient facilities where gener-
ally sick people aren't treated is even more pro-
nounced because of the heightened sensitivity of
this dangerous virus," he says. "The patient selec-
tion processes and histories of low infection rates
in surgery centers is more appealing now than ever
before. The evidence now shows that ASCs are not
increasing the risk of COVID-19 spread. That's the
bottom line."
Outpatient, not optional
As the pandemic continues, there's a growing real-
ization that postponing elective surgeries is unac-
ceptable. "We need to be really careful about how
we define 'elective surgery,' because there are sur-
geries and procedures that need to be done," says
A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 2 3
SAFETY FIRST Heightened hand hygiene protocols are one of the multifaceted precautions facilities have put
in place to protect patients and staff during the pandemic.
Northwell
Health
