COVID-19
Resuming elective surgeries: A roadmap 3. Personal Protective Equipment Principle: Facilities should not resume elective surgical procedures until they have adequate PPE and medical surgical supplies appropriate to the number and type of procedures to be performed. 4. Case Prioritization and Scheduling Principle: Facilities should establish a prioritization policy committee consisting of surgery, anesthesia and nursing leadership to develop a prioritization In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and
strategy appropriate to the immediate
Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. Surgeon General and many medical specialties
patient needs.
recommended interim cancelation of elective surgical procedures. 5. Post-COVID-19 Issues for the Five Phases of Surgical Care However, “when the first wave of this pandemic is behind us, the pent-up pa-
Principle: Facilities should adopt
1. Timing for Reopening
policies addressing care issues specific
of Elective Surgery
tient demand for surgical and procedural
Principle: There should be a sustained
to COVID-19 and the postponement of
care may be immense, and health care
reduction in the rate of new COVID-19
surgical scheduling.
organizations, physicians and nurses must
cases in the relevant geographic area for
be prepared to meet this demand,” The
at least 14 days, and the facility shall have
6. Collection and Management of Data
American College of Surgeons, American
appropriate number of intensive care
Principle: Facilities should reevaluate and
Society of Anesthesiologists, Associa-
unit (ICU) and non-ICU beds, personal
reassess policies and procedures frequently,
tion of periOperative Registered Nurses,
protective equipment (PPE), ventilators
based on COVID-19 related data, resourc-
American Hospital Association said a
and trained staff to treat all non-elective
es, testing and other clinical information.
joint statement.
patients without resorting to a crisis stan-
Facility readiness to resume elective
dard of care.
7. COVID-related Safety and Risk Miti-
In “Roadmap for Resuming Elective
2. COVID-19 Testing Within a Facility
Principle: Facilities should have and
Surgery after COVID-19 Pandemic,” the
Principle: Facilities should use avail-
implement a social distancing policy
organizations created a list of principles
able testing to protect staff and patient
for staff, patients and patient visitors in
and considerations to guide physicians,
safety whenever possible and should
non-restricted areas in the facility which
nurses and local facilities in their resump-
implement a policy addressing require-
meets then-current local and national
tion of care in operating rooms and all
ments and frequency for patient and
recommendations for community
procedural areas.
staff testing.
isolation practices.
surgery will vary by geographic location.
26
gation surrounding Second Wave
June 2020 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
