HCA hospitals in St. Lucie County delaying certain surgeries and procedures to preserve COVID-19 supplies

Certain inpatient and hospital-based outpatient surgeries and procedures are being delayed at HCA hospitals in St.

Lucie County.

AREA& THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMINGTHIS AFTERNOON FROM HCAHEALTHCARE THE NETWORK FORSOME OF THE LARGEST HOSPITALSIN ST LUCIE COUNTY.

MEGHMCROBERTS SPOKE WITH A LOCALDOCTOR ABOUT HOW THIS SECONDROUND OF SUSPENSIONS ISIMPACTING PATIENTS.<< SUSPENDING ELECTIVESURGERIES AGAIN IS AN EFFORTTO KEEP PRESERVING BED SPACESAND SUPPLIES FOR COVID-19PATIENTS& THIS TIME- MOREELECTIVE SURGERIES MIGHT STILLGET APPROVED, BUT SOME DOCTORSARE STILL CATCHING UP FROM TLAST PAUSE.

PKG 00:02:22:17"IT CHANGES ON A DAILY BASISON WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO ANDNOT DO." AFTER DECADESPRACTICING MEDICINE,ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON DOCTOR EDROSSARIO IS FACING NEWCHALLENGES IN TREATING HISPATIENTS..

COVID-19 LEADINGTWO ROUNDS OF SUSPENSIONS OFELECTIVE SURGERIES IN HCAHOSPTIALS& LIKE LAWNWOODREGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.00:03:06:13 "SOME OF THEPATIENTS THAT I HAVE ON THESCHEDULE COMING UP INT HE VERYNEAR FUTURE WERE ALREADYRESCHEDULED FROM WHEN THEPANDEMIC STARTED, SO THESEINDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN IN PAINFOR MONTHS BUT THIS TIME- DR.ROSSARIO SAYS HE MAY BE ABLETO GET MORE EXCEPTIONS.00:04:07:20 "IF WE CAN JUSTIFYTHAT THE PATIENT'S TRULYINCAPACITATED, IN SEVERE PAIN,AT RISK OF FALLING AND THINGSLIKE THAT, WE CAN ACTUALLYJUSTIFY THEIR SURGERY." ASPOKESWOMAN FOR HCA SAYS THEPAUSE ALLOWS THE HOSPITALS TOMAKE ADDITIONAL ROOM FORCOVID-19 PATIENTS, ANDPRESERVE PPE AND STAFFINGNEEDS.

DATA SHOWING ICU BEDSARE SCARCE IN ST.

LUCIECOUNTY... BUT DR. ROSSARIOISN'T SURE THIS IS THE BESTSOLUTION.

00:04:52:24 "FORELECTIVE SURGERIES THAT WE DO,MOST OF OUR PATIENTS EITHER GOHOME THE SAME DAY OR DAYAFTER, SO WE'RE NOT CLOGGINGUP PATIENT BEDS TO BEGIN WITAND THE IMPACT OF HAULTINGSURGERIES SPANS BEYOND THEHOSPITALS.

00:06:23:12 "IT NOTJUST AFFECTS THE PATIENTS, ITAFFECTS OUR PRACTICE, OURABILITY TO PAY OUR EMPLOYEES,WE HAVE 70 EMPLOYEES IN OURGROUP." BUT HE'S HOPEFUL THECHANGES DO MAKE SOME KIND OF ADIFFERENCE FOR TREATINCOVID-19 PATIENTS& AS BEATINGTHE VIRUS IS CRITICAL FOR HIMTO GET BACK TO A NORMAL WORKFLOW.

TAG: CHANGE ALREADY INEFFECT AT LAWNWOOD REGIONALMEDICAL CENTER AND WILL GOINTO EFFECT AT ST.

LUCIE MCENTER THURSDAY.