PEORIA, Ill. — OSF HealthCare will restart non-emergency procedures and surgical services at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center beginning Monday.
In a release on Saturday, OSF HealthCare said the hospital is taking a phased-in approach to bringing back elective services to ensure there is adequate personal protective equipment, testing and staffing available.
“During phase one, which begins May 11, surgeries and interventional procedures will be scheduled at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, including surgeries that were previously canceled or postponed, as well as new elective surgeries,” Community Relations Coordinator Kodi Smith said.
Saint Francis Medical Center’s Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mike Cruz said elective services are typically ones where patients go home the same day.
“Ordinarily, those would be the ones you’d see at an ambulatory surgery center, like the one we have in town on Rt. 91, but also ambulatory procedures actually occur at the operating room of the medical center.”
All patients scheduled for a procedure at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center will be screened for COVID-19 72 hours before their appointment.
“So, that extra process step is going to be challenging, because a third of our patients here locally don’t come from the tri-county area,” Cruz said.
OSF HealthCare is requiring anyone entering Saint Francis Medical Center, or any other OSF facility, to wear a mask. The only exception is for children under the age of two or those with medical conditions that prohibit wearing a mask.
OSF will continue to enforce a no visitor policy with a few exceptions, including end-of-life situations, women giving birth, and patients under the age of 18.
