INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University Health will be performing fewer elective surgeries as COVID-19 numbers surge in the state.
The hospital network announced Thursday it is temporarily suspending half of all inpatient elective surgeries systemwide, starting Monday Aug. 30. IU Health said the move is necessary to take some of the pressure off of staff and also to reserve inpatient rooms for those in more urgent need of care.
On Thursday, the Indiana State Department of Health reported 5,027 new positive cases of coronavirus. The department reported 2,108 patients are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19. That number has been increasing rapidly over the past few weeks.
Patients who are scheduled for non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries at IU Health are being contacted by the network to reschedule their appointments about three weeks from now.
Below is the full statement from IU Health:
"As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations surge across the state, Indiana University Health will temporarily suspend 50% of all inpatient elective surgeries and procedures throughout the system, beginning Monday, Aug. 30. The move is needed to alleviate some of the enormous pressure our care teams are under and to reserve inpatient space for those who need it most. Elective surgery patients (non-emergent, non-urgent) are being notified now and will be rescheduled about three weeks out."
