Ballad postpones some surgeries

Ballad Health is postponing all elective and non-emergent surgeries, effective today.

That includes procedures that had already been schedule, the health system announced in a press release.

The action responds to an increase in COVID-19 cases across the region, Ballad explained.

On Aug. 15, the census of patients being treated as inpatients at Ballad Health for COVID-19 reached 281, with nine of those being children at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

“The volume trends are exceeding what had been modeled as a most hopeful scenario, with the census growing nearly 29 percent since Friday, Aug. 20,” the release states. “Based on current modeling, it is now likely that, without any changes to the trends, Ballad Health could be serving as many as 400 COVID-19 patients within two weeks.”

The rise in COVID cases and higher patient volume than expected means Ballad “must now begin planning for a worst-case scenario,” Chief Operating Officer Eric Deaton said.

Postponing surgeries is necessary “to preserve much-needed space and staffing,” the release states. “Ballad Health is not furloughing team members at this time, but rather, may ask affected team members to provide support in various areas throughout the facility in which they work. This will enable Ballad Health to prioritize the most critical and highest-acuity patients.”

As examples, postponed procedures will include, but are not limited to, hernia repair, cholecystectomy, cardiac and interventional radiology procedures, aesthetic and plastic surgeries, podiatric procedures, vasectomies, bariatrics, joint replacements, screening endoscopies and non-essential spine surgery.

Ballad also announced that effective today, visitation will not be permitted in rooms with COVID-19 positive patients, or in adult units in behavioral health centers. Exceptions to this policy include patients positive for COVID-19 on a Ballad Health labor and delivery unit, who will be allowed one visitor during the entirety of the hospital stay.