Elective Procedures Resume At Rome Memorial Hospital
Surgeons are now able to perform elective procedures at Rome Memorial Hospital.
With the decline in the number of newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Oneida County, the hospital submitted the required attestation to the state. President/Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy, RN, NP tells the Rome Sentinel that the hospital is able to do this because of their safety procedures:
“Because of our commitment to providing the highest standards of safety, our teams examined every step of our process and adopted extra precautions to protect our patients,” Murphy said. "Since some people who have COVID-19 don’t exhibit symptoms, our ability to perform rapid onsite testing is essential to minimizing risks to patients, staff and providers.”
The following are other safety measures that have been implemented:
1) Designating a separate entrance and elevator for patients to use on the day of surgery to limit their encounters with other people.
2) Assigning patients to a surgical unit on a different floor separate from patients who may be hospitalized with an infectious disease.
3) Utilizing staffing patterns that ensure staff assigned to care for suspected or positive COVID-19 patients don’t float into a unit caring for any elective surgery patient.
The hospital’s plan was developed in accordance with the guidance from the New York State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Surgeons.
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