Oneida Health Hospital to resume elective surgical procedures

ONEIDA, N.Y. — Oneida Health announced Monday that it is resuming performing outpatient, elective procedures at its hospital.

The hospital will have to validate that those the people seeking the surgeries have met the criteria that the New York State Department of Health (DOH) released on April 29, Oneida Health said in a news release.

All patients who are scheduled to have an outpatient procedure will be required to have a pre-screening test for the coronavirus at the hospital’s drive-thru testing center, three days prior to their procedure. Patients will also complete a screening assessment on the day of their appointment. To limit exposure, Oneida Health is providing direct pathways to private rooms for surgical patients, “enforcing strict social distancing, proper PPE, and enhanced cleaning protocol to remain proactive.”

“While some hospitals in New York State have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 patients, we have not,” Gene Morreale, president and CEO of Oneida Health, said in a release. “When we have admitted a COVID-19 patient in our facility, we have isolated them to designated areas with dedicated staff. This has worked extremely well and as a result, all patients, both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, have received exceptional care.”

In addition to capacity requirements, hospitals are also required to have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), staffing, COVID-19 testing, and also establish a multi-disciplinary committee to “ensure appropriate prioritization” of elective procedures.

With the resumption of elective procedures, Oneida Health Hospital will also be performing non-urgent endoscopies in its hospital along with a range of surgical procedures in their ambulatory care center.