Coos Bay, March 20, 2020: Bay Area Hospital has made the decision to start delaying non-urgent surgeries. After consulting with our medical staff leaders, and in response to requests from our State and National health leaders, the decision was made yesterday to preserve our resources, such as staff and personal protective equipment (PPE) so that the hospital will have those resources available to provide high quality care to critically ill patients. Procedures to be delayed at this time include those in the operating room, catheter lab, and diagnostic imaging where the hospital continues to utilize PPE resources.
“We are using the term “non-urgent” deliberately rather than “elective” or “nonemergency” as we believe that the decision as to what is truly urgent, needs to be made by the physicians and the patient, taking into consideration the unique clinical situation and risks and benefits to the patient and the community,” said Dr. Michael van Duren, Bay Area Hospital’s chief medical officer.
The decision to start delaying non-urgent surgeries will be re-evaluated as the situation unfolds and new information about resource availability becomes available to the hospital. The doctor’s office that scheduled the non-urgent surgery will contact the individual with the scheduled surgery and let them know that the surgery will be cancelled or rescheduled to a later date. Bay Area Hospital asks that patients do not call the hospital inquiring about their surgery, but instead contact their doctor’s office for further surgery cancellation information.
As a reminder, Bay Area Hospital has implemented new screening and visitor policies effective as of Sunday, March 15, 2020:
• No visitors will be allowed at Bay Area Hospital at this time, unless they are the parents of pediatric patients, or they are the support person for someone giving birth in our Family Birth Center. Please note that extenuating circumstances will be considered based on the best interest and needs of the individual patient on a patient-by-patient basis. Anyone who comes to Bay Area Hospital as the parents of pediatric patients, the support person of someone giving birth, or who is presenting for care at the hospital will be screened upon entry.
• All entrances to Bay Area Hospital will be closed to the public *except* the main entrance and the entrance to the Emergency Room. The main entrances will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for patients, parents of pediatric patients, the partner of someone giving birth, or someone who is presenting for care. The Emergency Room will remain open all hours of the day.
• Patients who are presenting for care with symptoms of Coronavirus will be asked to put on a mask.
Bay Area Hospital has implemented these new policies in order to provide for the safety and wellbeing of our patients, visitors, staff, and providers at the hospital, and the minimize the disruption to our patient care.
While we are sensitive to the difficulties facing loved ones of hospitalized patients, Bay Area Hospital encourages family members and friends to use alternative ways to interact with their loved ones including phone calls, FaceTime, Skype and other means. The hospital wants to thank the community for their support and understanding during this time as we choose to prioritize the safety of our patients, staff, visitors, and providers. Further updates will be made as policies and procedures change.
If you have questions or need additional information please contact Kelli Dion, Public Information Officer and Chief Quality Officer at (541) 269- 8185.
###
Bay Area Hospital improves the health of our community every day and offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic services spanning medical, surgical, pediatric, critical care, home health, outpatient and acute psychiatric, oncology, obstetrical, and other specialties.
