Associations Create Roadmap for Resuming Elective Surgeries

As the COVID-19 surge wanes in some locations, hospitals and surgery centers are preparing to resume elective surgeries as soon as safely possible. Last week, the American Hospital Association, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Anesthesiologists and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses released a roadmap to guide readiness, prioritization and scheduling of elective surgeries. A joint statement, developed by the four organizations, provides key principles and considerations to guide health professionals. The statement lays out what conditions should be met before surgeries resume and addresses testing, social distancing and policies for prioritizing cases. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published general recommendations for reopening health care facilities that provide non-emergent services.