Press release from Mission Health:
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – March 21, 2020 – Today, Mission Hospital announced the suspension of all non-essential surgery and procedures effective Monday, March 23, in response to new CMS Guidelines issued as a result of the growing COVID-19 outbreak.
“Mission Hospital has well-established protocols in place to care for patients with infectious diseases, and we have been working diligently in our preparations for COVID-19,” said William Hathaway, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Mission Health. “Part of our response includes balancing our readiness to care for patients with COVID-19 while continuing to make sure the many other patients who depend on our hospitals receive needed and timely care. We have been closely following the recommended guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to review scheduled procedures based on a number of factors, including the urgency of the procedure, the clinical judgement of our physicians as well as the current circumstances in the facility and the community.”
CMS released new guidelines for surgeries and procedures on March 18. These guidelines include several “tiers” of surgeries and procedures, with different guidance for each. As a result of these new guidelines, Mission Hospital will be canceling all non-essential surgery procedures as defined by CMS starting Monday, March 23.
“We will continue to accommodate the surgeries and procedures determined to be appropriate under the CMS guidelines, and conversations with clinical leadership and surgeons will continue to prioritize surgical cases in the future to ensure the hospital is prepared to safely meet the needs of all our patients, while protecting the health and well-being of our colleagues,” Dr. Hathaway said.
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