GRMC resumes specific elective procedures
After canceling all elective procedures due to COVID-19, Graham Regional Medical Center announced Friday that they have resumed non-emergent, clinically necessary elective procedures and surgeries beginning on Monday, April 27.
GRMC CEO, Shane Kernell, in a press release stated the hospital has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and has decided to open facilities for non-emergency, non-COVID-19 healthcare.
As the hospital begins to reopen certain services, GRMC will still be working closely with health officials, ensuring the community is safe.
“Throughout this transition, we will continue to work closely with elected and public health officials to ensure we maintain capacity to care for COVID-19 patients within our facilities,” Kernell wrote in a press release. “As we begin to reopen services, we remain diligent in our fight against COVID-19 and thoughtful in our approach to return to normal operations for the safety of our patients, physicians, workforce and the community.”
The release stated the hospital is preparing to operate in an environment where COVID-19 will be possibly present for the foreseeable future.
“Understanding this reality, we need to adapt so that we can function effectively in a world that is COVID-safe, as opposed to COVID-free,” Kernell stated.
As the hospital moves forward they will continue to maintain precautions that have been set in place. This includes limiting access to the hospital and clinics, screening patients, physicians, staff and visitors, visitor restrictions inpatient areas, management of supplies and working with local, state and national health officials to plan as the pandemic evolves.
In the press release, visitor policies were outlined. Visiting hours will be from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. with only one adult per patient being allowed in the building during these hours. All visitors must be 18 years of age or older. One person may remain overnight only if it is a pediatrics patient, or the visitor is a patient advocate pre/post surgery or end of life.
In addition to this GRMC will be implementing a COVID-19 Surgical Algorithm for Universal Protection, from Stanford University. These are guidelines for precautions for operating room team members.
“This algorithm is based on urgency of operation, anticipated viral burden at the surgical site, opportunity for a procedure to aerosolize the virus and the likelihood a patient could be infected based on symptoms and testing,” the press release states. “The Stanford guidelines provide a strategy for what needs to be tested based on risk-stratification, as well as the appropriate level of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required.”
GRMC’s goal is to serve the needs of the community, but doing so confidently and safely. The hospital will be mindful of the concern of patients and will be updating them on the rescheduling of surgeries and procedures.
As GRMC opens up these procedures and surgeries, they will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation.
