Merit Health Natchez Resumes Outpatient Surgeries and Elective Procedures This Week

4/27/2020

Mississippi Governor’s Executive Order Restrictions on Elective Procedures Expired Monday

NATCHEZ, Miss. – April 27, 2020 — Patients who have delayed surgery or other non-emergency procedures can now work with their physician to secure care as Merit Health Natchez resumes some outpatient elective services starting this week.

The hospital is following Executive Order 1477 issued by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, allowing healthcare facilities to resume performing non-emergent, elective medical procedures and surgeries. Safety remains the hospital’s highest priority.

Numerous precautions for infection prevention, access control, social distancing and patient flow are in place to maintain a safe environment of care. Everyone who enters the building, including staff, is screened, and all employees, physicians and patients are expected to wear masks. The daily number of procedures performed is being limited and furniture in waiting areas has been spaced to maintain appropriate social distancing. Cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and caregiving spaces has been intensified. Visitor restrictions for inpatients remain in effect, with exceptions for laboring mothers, pediatric patients and end-of-life situations.

“As we begin a phased approach to reopen elective procedures and outpatient surgeries, our physicians and hospital employees are working diligently to keep every patient safe,” said Dr. Geoffrey Flattmann, General Surgeon and Merit Health Natchez Chief of Staff. “It is important to reschedule healthcare procedures that have been delayed so health conditions do not deteriorate. I also want to remind you it is safe to come to the hospital. If you are sick, whether it is possibly related to this virus or it’s totally different, do not hesitate to come to the hospital. Our medical staff and hospital employees are totally prepared to take care of you safely. It is vitally important to seek emergency medical care when needed.”

Non-COVID-19 care zones have been defined in the hospital. If, at any time, we are caring for COVID-19 positive patients in the hospital, those patients are segregated in the same unit away from all other patients.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to be laser focused on the health and safety of our patients and employees,” said Lance Boyd, CEO of Merit Health Natchez. “We are now in what we call our Reopen Readiness – Phase One stage. In this phase, we will still close our main entrance at noon and our No Visitation policy remains in effect. As we continue to add surgeries and some routine procedures and tests, we are monitoring our patient flow in order to ensure social distancing guidelines within our hospital.”

All patients being scheduled for surgery and requiring general anesthesia or other aerosolizing processes will be tested for COVID-19 in advance of the procedure. The hospital is closely monitoring its inventory of test kits, personal protective equipment, medications and other needed supplies to ensure sufficient resources to support the number of patients in our care.

Back