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CENTRAL COAST, CA – May 4, 2020 – Dignity Health Central Coast hospitals and outpatient surgery centers are preparing to safely resume certain scheduled procedures. We have clear criteria that must as we move forward with resuming procedures based on guidelines from national health officials and our local clinical leaders. After pausing medically-necessary elective and other non-urgent procedures during COVID-19, we are following guidance from the CDC, US Surgeon General, American College of Surgeons, and the leading national associations of nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists in establishing criteria for resuming such procedures.
“With data indicating the initial peak of the pandemic is behind us, we are following the lead of national health officials and partnering with state and local public health leaders to establish criteria for resuming scheduled procedures and other services at our local facilities,” says Chief Medical Officer Scott Robertson, MD. “Like most hospitals, we postponed these procedures to prepare for a surge of coronavirus patients. However, these are important services that patients need to treat both acute and chronic conditions, or prevent a serious illness from worsening.”
Before scheduling procedures, all hospitals and surgery centers nationally must meet the following criteria: A sustained reduction/flattening of COVID-19 cases in the community; sufficient capacity of beds and equipment; sufficient PPE; and COVID-19 testing in place for all appropriate patients scheduling a surgical procedure.
In addition to this criteria, we continue to take significant steps to the safety of community, patients, and members of the health care team. To ensure the safety and care of our patients:
Outpatient locations resuming procedures are: Plaza Surgery Center, Coastal Surgical Institute, and Templeton Surgery Center.
Our hospitals and outpatient surgery centers have a careful and detailed approach to determine which procedures can safely be performed, where they can be performed, and when they can be performed. For optimal care of our community, the most urgent procedures are being prioritized using a process created by our clinical teams.
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About Dignity Health Central Coast
Dignity Health Central Coast is comprised of five award-winning hospitals, all recognized for their quality of care, safety and service, primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically advanced imaging centers, outpatient services, and comprehensive home health services. For more information, visit dignityhealth.org/central-coast.
Publish date:
Monday, May 04, 2020