Intermountain Healthcare is postponing all non-urgent surgeries and procedures requiring a hospital admission in their trauma and community hospitals, starting September 15, to support ICUs and acute care units and staffing needs according to a press release.
COVID-19 cases have continued to significantly increase in Utah—resulting in consistently high volumes in hospital ICUs and acute care units across their system. Intermountain says their teams are overwhelmed and they are running out of staffed beds for patients and are at a critical point where they must take further action to support their teams and the safety of their patients.
They will evaluate the situation on an ongoing basis. When feasible, consolidation of remaining surgeries or procedures may take place to help free up surgical teams to be redeployed in their hospitals. Non-urgent surgeries and procedures are those that can be reasonably postponed and do not involve a medical emergency.
While this pause in surgeries may create challenges for some patients, it is a necessary and appropriate step given the sharp spike in hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19. Any patient affected by the postponements will be directly notified by telephone. Postponed procedures will be rescheduled after the surge subsides. Intermountain will continue to provide care for urgent situations and emergency patients as it always does.
