As COVID cases grow, NC hospitals are once again delaying non-emergency procedures
Richard Stradling, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Jan. 6—RALEIGH — Last March, as hospitals in New York and Italy were being overrun with COVID-19 patients, hospitals in North Carolina canceled non-emergency surgeries and other procedures to free up beds, workers and supplies to battle the coronavirus.
Now, as they struggle to keep ahead of the growing number of COVID-19 patients in the state, some North Carolina hospitals are again delaying procedures, though in a more limited and strategic way.
Some hard hit hospitals have halted so-called elective surgeries or stopped scheduling future ones. Others, such as WakeMed, are reviewing their surgical schedules daily to determine which cases can be pushed back a few days or a couple of weeks to keep from filling too many beds at once, said Dr. Chris DeRienzo, the chief medical officer.