Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz has announced a gradual reopening of elective procedures. Emphasis in this first phase will be on medically necessary, time-sensitive procedures including surgeries, endoscopies, cardiac catheterization lab procedures and interventional radiology procedures.
“One of the toughest changes we have had to make in the face of COVID-19 has been pausing scheduled procedures,” said Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz, Dominican Hospital president and CEO. “We are thrilled to begin offering elective procedures once again. The safety of our patients and staff always come first. We won’t be able to provide every service right away—this will be a gradual process to ensure we are addressing the most urgent needs first and providing the safest care possible to our community.”
Like most hospitals, Dominican paused scheduled procedures to reduce transmission of the virus and expand capacity for a surge of COVID-19 patients.
Now that data shows the initial peak of the pandemic appears to have passed, Dominican Hospital has implemented criteria for resuming scheduled procedures and other services, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Surgeon General, American Hospital Association and the leading national associations of nurses, surgeons and anesthesiologists.
These include a sustained reduction in COVID-19 cases in the community, enough personal protective equipment to keep patients and staff safe and testing capacity for all patients receiving care in the operating rooms.
Steps to ensure safety at Dominican include a strict visitor policy, screening all patients for COVID-19 symptoms and ensuring they wear a mask, daily monitoring staff for symptoms, rigorous social distancing, isolating patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from other patients at the hospital, enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes throughout the hospital, and adjusting operating room schedules to allow for additional cleanings after each procedure.
“It is important to remember that delaying care can make many illnesses significantly worse,” said Dr. Greg Whitley, Dominican Hospital chief medical officer. “Ignoring symptoms and postponing your care may increase your risk of serious complications. Dominican Hospital has successfully managed infectious diseases alongside standard patient care for generations. Our hospital and our emergency department are safe, and ready to provide immediate care for urgent and life-threatening conditions.”
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For info, see dignityhealth.org/covid19dsc.