Dignity Health St. John’s Hospitals to Reopen Surgery Centers for Non-Emergent Procedures

Key components must be safely met before procedures can begin

OXNARD, CA – May 5, 2020 – Dignity Health St. John’s Hospitals are prepared to safely resume medically-necessary elective and non-emergent surgical procedures. We have clear criteria from both local and national organizations to ensure the safety of our patients and staff as we continue these important surgical procedures. After pausing said procedures during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 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:

• All staff, patients, and visitors will be screened before entering any care facility, checked for symptoms, and provided with a mask if they don’t have one.
  
  
• Appropriate PPE will continue to be provided to every staff engaging in direct patient care. We continue to explore every option to secure additional PPE. Scheduled procedures will only proceed if we have enough PPE.
  
  
• Every appropriate preoperative patient will be tested in advance. Our goal is to also be able to quickly expand testing for staff as soon as possible.
  
  
• Restrictions on visitation will remain in place.
  
  
• Care facilities will continue enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes in every care setting, ensure we are practicing strict social distancing wherever possible, and adjust operating room schedules to allow for additional cleanings after each procedure.
  
  
• Where possible care facilities will separate care provided to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients from other patients receiving scheduled procedures.
  
  
• Procedures will be gradually phased in, and we will closely monitor cases in our community. If we see an increase in cases, we will act quickly to reinstate restrictions on procedures.

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. 

###

About Dignity Health St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital and St. John’s Regional Medical Center
St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo and St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard are members of Dignity Health Central Coast, an integrated network of top quality hospitals, with physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services - all recognized for quality, safety and service. Both hospitals are supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities. Hospitals in the Dignity Health Central Coast region also include Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/pleasantvalley and dignityhealth.org/stjohnsregional.