RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Baptist Health Richmond is suspending elective procedures effective Wednesday, January 26 because of an increase in patient volumes attributed to the current COVID-19 surge.
Elective procedures are defined as those that are necessary, but can be delayed for 30 days without significant risk or harm to the patient. Imaging procedures will continue as scheduled including biopsies, CT, MRI, and X-ray.
This decision comes a couple weeks after Baptist Health Lexington said that they are postponing in-patient elective procedures with an overnight stay due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“The clinical leadership at our hospital is monitoring the scope of procedures that fall into the categories of elective, urgent, and emergency procedures,” said Erica Gregonis, MD, Baptist Health Richmond Chief Medical Officer. “Our medical experts will be making these decisions while maintaining the best interest of our patient’s well-being and safety.”
Patient volumes will continually be monitored with the goal to resume elective procedures as soon as it’s appropriate, but urgent and emergency surgeries will still be performed.
Urgent cases will generally include procedures that cannot wait 30 days without significant risk to the patient, but in each case will ultimately be determined by the judgment of the physicians in cooperation with medical staff leadership at each facility.
Emergency cases are those that could result in the loss of life, limb or organ, or permanent disability if postponed, so these will be done as they always have been — as quickly as possible.
Patients affected by this change will be contacted and given further guidance.
