Methodist Postponing Nonessential Surgeries to Prep for Coronavirus Surge
Published: March 19, 2020
Omaha-area hospitals will postpone and reschedule most nonessential surgeries and medical procedures for the next 90 days in an effort to conserve critical medical supplies, prevent staff burnout and free up beds as more coronavirus cases emerge in Nebraska.
The decision, announced March 18 in a joint statement by eight hospital systems and surgical centers, comes as hospitals gear up for a possible surge of patients with COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
Starting as soon as March 20, doctors will consult with their patients and ultimately decide if a procedure can be safely delayed “without risk to life or limb,” said Dr. William Lydiatt, the vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer for Methodist and Methodist Women’s Hospitals.
